The Government is to resume passport checks at the steps of aircraft at Dublin Airport in an attempt to address the significant numbers of asylum seekers who have lost or destroyed their travel documents while flying into Ireland.

Officers from the Garda National Immigration Bureau are to carry out aircraft “doorstep operations” after it was revealed on The Pat Kenny Show last week that 40 % or more than 5,000 people who applied for international protection last year either lost or destroyed their travel documents before arriving at Irish immigration control. These figures were revealed here on the show last week through a Freedom of Information request.

While the Department of Justice is also to step up checks on people arriving from countries that are deemed safe.But what countries are deemed safe and why might some people be seeking asylum from there? Our Chief Reporter Barry Whyte has been finding out.