Failing to deport asylum seekers who do not qualify “sends a message internationally” to immigrants, according to Aontú Leader Peadar Tóibín. 

Roughly 70 tents have been set up along the Grand Canal, not far from the International Protection Office (IPO) 

This follows the Government clearing over 100 tents from the IPO to sheltered accommodation. 

Mr Tóibín, however, told Newstalk Breakfast that the Government “has lost control over the immigration system”. 

“We have a situation at the moment where the Government is spending quite a bit of money on a process to differentiate between those who need help and those who don't,” he said. 

“Yet at the end of that process, when people have been decided upon that they're not asylum seekers, 85% of those people find themselves not receiving an active deportation order. 

“I believe that's putting an incredible pressure on the system. 

“If you have a system whereby you are not actioning deportation orders, that sends a message internationally to that Ireland is a place where you can come.” 

Leaving Ireland

There is also no system at Dublin Airport that confirms a person with a deportation order has actually left, according to Mr Tóibín. 

“If you had a voluntary deportation system, at least to be some level of confirmation that it's occurred,” he said. 

“But the Minister is admitting that there's no system available at the moment to confirm the person has exited.” 

Asylum seekers in accommodation

Mr Tóibín said “hundreds upon thousands of people” have received deportation orders but have not been deported, putting “extra demand on accommodation in the State”. 

“The supply of accommodation for rentals is on a knife's edge in many, many areas,” he said. 

He noted the distribution of immigrants in Ireland is unequal across different regions. 

“For example, Kerry takes about four times the per capita national average of Ukrainian people coming into the country,” he said. 

“Donegal takes two and a half times the per capita average of the Ukrainian intake. 

“To compare Kerry to Dun Laoghaire, Kerry takes 33 times more people and Donegal has 20 times more.” 

Mr Tóibín pointed out this is despite there being far more vacant housing in Dublin than other regions. 

More than 1,670 male asylum seekers remain without any offer of State accommodation.