THERE HAVE BEEN 434 applications approved under Ireland’s special Afghan Admission Programme since it was launched in 2021. 

The programme was set up in the immediate aftermath of the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan in August 2021.

It was intended to be used to bring over immediate family members of Afghans living in Ireland, with priority being given to the most vulnerable, such as the elderly, women, girls and people with disabilities.

The AAP made 500 places available to Afghan nationals if a close family member was living in Ireland or had previously lived in Ireland up until 1 September 2021.

Each applicant could apply to have four close family members achieve temporary residence. The AAP was open to people currently living in Afghanistan or those who had fled to countries bordering Afghanistan.

The AAP was announced by the Department of Justice in September 2021 and officially opened in December 2021.

When applications closed on 11 March last year, there were 528 applications submitted.

The Journal previously reported that as of October last year, no applications had been accepted under the programme since it was launched. 

However, in response to a Parliamentary Question by Social Democrats TD Holly Cairns earlier this year, Justice Minister Simon Harris said there had been a total of 155 approvals issued under the AAP as of 9 February, while no refusals had been issued.

In a statement to The Journal, a spokesperson for the Department said Minister Harris “understands that this is a difficult situation for our Afghan community and their loved ones”.

The spokesperson confirmed that as of 26 April, the Department has issued 434 approvals for beneficiaries under the Afghan Admission Programme “and continues to process remaining applications”.

No refusal letters have been issued to date, they added.

“A total of 528 applications in respect of 1,492 potential beneficiaries were received under the programme. To ensure as many people as possible can avail of this important programme the Department has been liaising with representatives of the Afghan Community and with applicants directly to ensure the Afghan Admission Programme team have everything needed to progress applications.”

Under the scheme, the Department requires significant amounts of documentation, from both the proposer and the people seeking admission to Ireland.

People are expected to provide original documents or “true copies” (photocopies with a signature from a notary public or solicitor).

This includes proof of identity, residency and financial resources. It also includes ‘proof of relationship’ documentation, with the Department having a requirement for DNA testing to prove a relationship in some cases.

This has been the case when the Department are satisfied that the relationship is genuine, but there is not enough supporting documentation.

The Department spokesperson said that where applicants are missing important information, such as proof of identity and familial relationships, the Afghan Admission Programme Unit contacted people directly to gather the documents.

“This process is now complete and applications continue to be assessed in a pragmatic and humanitarian manner. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application as soon as is possible.”

The spokesperson also said that as of April, 432 ‘join family’ visas have been granted to Afghan nationals. 

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“This figure would include those who have applied under the AAP, but would also include people that have been granted join family visas outside of the AAP, such as family reunification and other join family applications,” they continued.

“It should also be noted that some people who have been approved under the AAP have not yet applied for a visa to come Ireland.”

The join family visas were made available to people living in Afghanistan seeking to join relatives who were Irish citizens, while the AAP was for Afghan persons currently living in Ireland, who could apply to bring up to four immediate members of their family to Ireland from Afghanistan.

Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre, has “wholeheartedly welcomed” the progress made with the applications from members of the Afghan community in Ireland.

In a statement to The Journal, Brian Collins, the Advocacy Service Manager at Nasc, said: “In our experience, the decision-making process and related communication has been slow over the last year.

“Many applicants were not receiving substantive updates on whether they would be reunited with their families. This has, of course, caused a lot of distress for people based in Ireland and for their families in Afghanistan,” he said.

Collins said Nasc’s clients faced many practical challenges, such as the programme’s documentation requirements, which he described as “onerous”.

“Due to the instability of postal and other public services in Afghanistan, there were issues in sourcing passports and other documentation, and getting them out of Afghanistan,” he said.

“We appreciate that it is a highly challenging time across government departments. However, for the applicants and families who have been kept waiting for a decision regarding their future and reunification, it is a particularly sensitive and harrowing experience.

“Many of our clients’ family members are living in very precarious conditions in Afghanistan, so application progressions and related communication are very welcome.”