Foreign nationals 'involved in widespread welfare fraud'

[Rapisco]

Todays Indo

A major cross-border investigation has reportedly uncovered widespread social welfare fraud by asylum seekers and other immigrants.
Reports this morning said the inquiry had uncovered significant numbers of foreign nationals taking advantage of the common travel area between the Republic and the UK to defraud the Irish Exchequer.

Some of the fraudsters were reportedly continuing to get Irish social welfare benefits paid into their bank accounts despite having moved to Britain.

One Nigerian couple was also reportedly found to be registered for benefits despite owning a four-star hotel in Lagos, while a foreign woman living in Co Meath was found to be claiming benefits of almost €3,000 per month even though her husband was working as a fully qualified doctor in Belfast.

Full story
http://www.unison.ie/breakingnews/in...?ca=9&si=98213

[commentator]

Well what to say. Predictable and everyone knows already.

Question is not whether it is happening. Of course it is and many nigerians are fraudsters. Question is what will be done about it. Probably nothing much.

[Twin Towers]

Its disgraceful fraud really.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Was gonna post this but has already been posted. All the more reason for a crackdown on this nonsense of asylum-seeking in a country far, far away from conflict zones.

[newFF]

Well what to say. Predictable and everyone knows already.

Question is not whether it is happening. Of course it is and many nigerians are fraudsters. Question is what will be done about it. Probably nothing much.

Wasnt McDowell moving a bill last week which would result in expulsion of immigrant etc where they were proven to be involved in criminality in some shape or form?

Regardless, its unfortunate but "Nigerian" and "Fraud" almost go hand in hand in this type of article.

[irishpeoplearewhingers]

Personally, I am more in favour of working and signing than outright fraud.

[FutureTaoiseach]

Well what to say. Predictable and everyone knows already.

Question is not whether it is happening. Of course it is and many nigerians are fraudsters. Question is what will be done about it. Probably nothing much.

Wasnt McDowell moving a bill last week which would result in expulsion of immigrant etc where they were proven to be involved in criminality in some shape or form?

Regardless, its unfortunate but "Nigerian" and "Fraud" almost go hand in hand in this type of article.

If the Supreme Court tries to strike down this new law, then McDowell should call another referendum so the people can give their answer.

[hiding behind a poster]

Well fortunately asylum-seeker numbers here are at their lowest for ten years, so its less of a problem than in might otherwise be. But in reality, whats the solution to this?

1) We have international obligations in terms of asylum, that we can't go back on - so we can't "close the ports".

2) If the problem is people claiming in both the UK and the ROI, do we want to start policing the border with the North? Huge political and resource implications there.

3) So given that the Irish are hardly amateurs themselves when it comes to welfare fraud, surely the solution is to tighten up the policing of welfare fraud in general - along with providing extra resources to the asylum process, so that decisions can be made faster, and the need for asylum seekers to get their hands on money would therefore be less.

[farnaby]

Well fortunately asylum-seeker numbers here are at their lowest for ten years, so its less of a problem than in might otherwise be. But in reality, whats the solution to this?

1) We have international obligations in terms of asylum, that we can't go back on - so we can't "close the ports".

2) If the problem is people claiming in both the UK and the ROI, do we want to start policing the border with the North? Huge political and resource implications there.

3) So given that the Irish are hardly amateurs themselves when it comes to welfare fraud, surely the solution is to tighten up the policing of welfare fraud in general - along with providing extra resources to the asylum process, so that decisions can be made faster, and the need for asylum seekers to get their hands on money would therefore be less.

I'd add that payments should not be continuously paid into bank accounts without scheduled checks that the recipients (including children) are still based in ireland. You don't get paid in work without turning up at the workplace; it's hardly denying civil liberties to enforce a 'checking-in' process for all welfare recipients (Irish included).

[FutureTaoiseach]

Well fortunately asylum-seeker numbers here are at their lowest for ten years, so its less of a problem than in might otherwise be. But in reality, whats the solution to this?

1) We have international obligations in terms of asylum, that we can't go back on - so we can't "close the ports".

2) If the problem is people claiming in both the UK and the ROI, do we want to start policing the border with the North? Huge political and resource implications there.

3) So given that the Irish are hardly amateurs themselves when it comes to welfare fraud, surely the solution is to tighten up the policing of welfare fraud in general - along with providing extra resources to the asylum process, so that decisions can be made faster, and the need for asylum seekers to get their hands on money would therefore be less.

I resent point 3 and have not seen the evidence. Prove it. On 1, I think we should press in the EU for a renegotiation of the UN Refugee Convention to change our "international obligations". We are not under any obligation to allow people to come to Ireland to claim asylum if they have already entered another EU state, hence the govt having placed Gardai at other EU ports in agreement with their govts ad the tightening up of visa-rules. On policing the border with the North I say yes we should but of course if we havd a UI then we could stop the illegals at NI's ports so in the long run that is what I would hope for.