Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan warned his department to be cautious in advertising enhanced payments to asylum seekers who agree to leave Ireland, lest the offer become a “pull factor” for others to come here.
Payments under the voluntary return scheme were increased to up to €2,500 for individuals and up to €10,000 for families to encourage people to return home of their own accord.
However, the Justice Minister said officials needed to make clear that the enhanced payments would only apply to people already in the asylum system.
Mr O’Callaghan wrote: “It is also important that any such advertisement does not act as a pull factor that would attract people here to make IP [international protection] claims in the hope of receiving such an offer.”
The minister sought details of where and when the increased incentives would be advertised, according to internal department documents.
The Department of Justice had initially refused to release the records, and they were only disclosed after a Right to Know appeal to the Information Commissioner under FOI laws.
An internal submission said the new enhanced payments should be used to encourage people to leave the asylum process as early as possible.
In it, officials acknowledged that there would be concerns over whether increased payments might instead make Ireland more attractive for asylum applicants.
The document said: “It may also be necessary to ameliorate concerns that the increase levels of assistance could have the unintended consequence of encouraging unfounded IP claims.”
It added: “It should be said, however, that we are unaware of any evidence to support such concerns.”
In discussions, the department suggested a sliding scale of payments for asylum applicants to leave Ireland.
Higher grants would be available for those who left earlier in the process and lower amounts for those who were closer to their final decision.
In an extensive commentary, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said he agreed that variable rates would be effective.
He wrote: “I think this increase in financial incentives to encourage VR [voluntary return] is justified when one considers that the cost to the State of accommodating one person for 12 months in IPAS accommodation is currently estimated at c€30,678.
“In fact, the cost to the State is generally circa c€73,155 for the 124 weeks that an applicant’s claim is being considered.” He said those figures did not account for the provision of healthcare, education, social protection, or other costs involved in the removal process.