The Justice Minister has said Gardaí will intensify checks on aircraft to ensure no asylum seekers board flights to Ireland with incorrect travel documents.
Simon Harris was speaking after figures obtained by Newstalk show between December 2022 and April this year, 1,432 international protection applicants arrived at Dublin Airport with no travel documents.
Minister Harris said Gardaí boarding flights had brought the numbers arriving with no or fake travel documents down earlier in the year.
However, he said there has been a spike in numbers recently.
"I also accept that we've seen an uptick again in recent weeks," he said.
"We have started the process of Gardaí being located abroad, working with airlines, checking documents.
"That had yielded benefits earlier in the year and I know it's something both myself and An Garda Síochána would like to see intensify.
"We've seen over 175 fines issued for airlines, and again I'd remind airlines of their legal obligations in relation to making sure people don't board planes without the correct documentation".
Minister Harris said he is determined to crack down on people traffickers who prey on vulnerable asylum seekers.
"There can be, at times, significant profiteering and criminality involved in people, in other jurisdictions, producing fake documents and the likes and preying on people during very vulnerable situations.
"That's why it's really important that the Gardaí and my own department continue to work on this at a European level," he added.
