A Junior Minister has said the Government has to take international protection applicants "at face value."
Minister of State for Integration Joe O'Brien was speaking as almost 2,000 asylum seekers arrived in Ireland in the first four months of the year with either false or no travel documents.
Figures from the Department of Justice show 1,465 asylum seekers arrived into Dublin Airport with no travel documents - while 354 arrived with false documents in the same period.
These figures could be even higher, as not all applicants arrive through Dublin Airport.
Source: Department of JusticeThe Department of Justice has said it has no record of how many asylum seekers are arriving here through Northern Ireland.
Minister O'Brien denied some may come to Ireland to take advantage of our welfare system.
He told The Pat Kenny Show: "I've worked in the area of migration for over 20 years - I've never met a migrant who's come here based on checking what the welfare rates are.
'I've never met a migrant who's come here based on checking what our welfare rates are.' Minister Joe O'Brien on @PatKennyNT. pic.twitter.com/dWWjPLEUQn
— NewstalkFM (@NewstalkFM) May 25, 2023
"People come here because the country is stable, people come here because we have a functioning democracy.
"Ultimately, people come here and leave their own country of origin... for similar reasons that our own people did in previous [times].
"It's a little bit dangerous to second-guess everyone who comes here looking for protection.
"I think our first reaction has to be that we take them at face value, and look at their personal situation".
MInister O'Brien admitted processing times for applicants are "way too long."
"It's not five years at the moment, it's down to 10 months - and that's increased dramatically in the last two years.
"I heard Minister [Simon] Harris speak earlier as well about his commitment to getting more staff into the IPO office this year... to push those processing times further down," he added.
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