Dozens of migrant workers hoping to get multiple re-entry visas to enable them to leave the country queued from the early hours of this morning at the visa office at the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service in Dublin.
Thousands of migrant workers have been forced to queue for hours in recent weeks due to a backlog in applications.
Queues formed this morning despite a statement by the Department of Justice issued yesterday in which it said the crisis at the visa office is over and there is no need for people to queue overnight.
In its statement, the Department of Justice said: ?On Wednesday for the first time in a number of weeks, the office had dealt with everyone who turned at the public office to make an application. With the co-operation of those seeking re-entry visas we should be in a position to deal daily with those that turn at the public office.? The department said there was still a backlog for postal re-entry visa applications but these should be dealt with in due course.
He said anyone who was not due to travel for three or four weeks should make applications by post as there was no need to turn up at the office in Dublin in person.
The delays were caused both by a surge in demand for visas and an industrial dispute by members of the Civil Public and Services Union.