STATUTORY INSTRUMENTS.

S.I. No. 714 of 2004 .

REFUGEE ACT 1996 (SAFE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN) ORDER 2004.

S.I. No. 714 of 2004 .

REFUGEE ACT 1996 (SAFE COUNTRIES OF ORIGIN) ORDER 2004.

I, MICHAEL McDOWELL T.D., Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by paragraph (a) of section 12(4) (inserted by section 7(g) of the Immigration Act 2003 (No. 26 of 2003)) of the Refugee Act 1996 (No. 17 of 1996), as adapted by the Justice (Alteration of Name of Department and Title of Minister) Order 1997 ( S.I. No. 298 of 1997 ), after consultation with the Minister for Foreign Affairs and having had regard to the matters referred to in paragraph (b) of the said section 12(4), hereby order as follows:

1.--(1)  This Order may be cited as the Refugee Act 1996 (Safe Countries of Origin) Order 2004.

(2)  This Order comes into operation on 9th day of December 2004.

2.--Each of the countries specified in the Schedule to this Order is designated as a safe country of origin within the meaning of paragraph (a) of section 12(4) (inserted by section 7(g) of the Immigration Act 2003 (No. 26 of 2003)) of the Refugee Act 1996 (No. 17 of 1996).

SCHEDULE

Croatia

Republic of South Africa

EXPLANATORY NOTE.

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

This Order lists countries designated as safe for the purpose of prioritising applications for refugee status made by nationals of those countries under the Refugee Act 1996 . These countries so designated are in addition to those countries designated as safe by S.I. No. 422 of 2003 .