A male Albanian national, has been sentenced to 3 years for
making a false declaration in his application for Irish Citizenship.
TThe man in his 40s pleaded guilty had 18 months of his sentence suspended, this morning at Longford Circuit Court.
He was also convicted for making a false declaration in the application for an Irish Passport.
This is the first successful prosecution under Section 29A of The Irish Naturalisation and Citizenship Act 2004 in the state.
The conviction and sentencing follows an extensive investigation coordinated by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), with assistance from a number of agencies including The Passport Office, Immigration Service Delivery, the Irish Citizenship Department and Gardaí based in Castlepollard and Mullingar.
The man entered Ireland in 2001 using the alias of a Kosovo national and sought asylum under a false name
He was later granted temporary permission to remain in the State in 2007, and made an application for citizenship which was granted in 2014. Permission to remain in the state, citizenship and an Irish passport were all granted under the pretence of him being a Kosovo nationa