The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed it has provided consular assistance to a number of students arrested in the United States on charges of modifying their passports.
The department said it had assisted a "small number of Irish nationals detained in the US for allegedly tampering with passports" in recent months.
The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) yesterday said some students spending the summer in the United States on J1 visas had been placing laminates on their passports to change their dates of birth so they could enter pubs and nightclubs. The legal drinking age is 21 in the United States, and many of those travelling to the country on J1 visas are younger than this.
The USI urged students not to tamper with their passports and called on anyone who had to contact their nearest embassy or consulate.
A spokesman for the department said the Irish embassy in Washington and a number of consulates has also been liaising with organisations involved in the J1 visa programme as well as colleges and student organisations in Ireland and emigrant advice and support groups to ensure that students were aware of the potential consequences of tampering with passports.
Tampering with or falsifying a passport is a criminal offence in Ireland but is a federal offence in the US and can result in culprits being fined, imprisoned or refused future access to the country.
According to the US State Department, individuals found guilty of passport and/or visa fraud face a minimum 10-year-sentence for a first-time offence.
Moreover, in Ireland it is an offence under Section 20 (h) of the Passports Act (2008) to wilfully damage or destroy a passport, and any individual convicted could face a fine of up to €10,000 or a five-year prison sentence or both.
Earlier this month the Department of Foreign Affairs issued a warning that students in the United States were modifying their passports. It called on any Irish national who had altered their passports not to travel on the document and to get it replaced as early as possible.
"The presence of the laminate is easily detectable by border control officers and those used to inspect travel documents. Additionally once attached, the passport is compromised, and its removal will cause considerable damage to the document," the department said in its warning.
Fianna Fáil today backed calls for students not to tamper with their passports.
"Not alone could someone find themselves with a criminal record and potential prison sentence or hefty fine, but offenders may not be allowed travel to the US in the future," said foreign affairs spokesman Seán Ó Fearghail.
“I am urging any student who has already modified their passport not to use it in any way and to have it replaced immediately by contacting an Irish embassy or consulate in the US," he added.
Separately, the Department of Foreign Affairs has issued travel advice for Leaving Cert students planning to celebrate their results by travelling abroad.
The department, which has dealt with 861 serious incidents requiring consular assistance including 125 deaths so far this year, is urging school-leavers to behave sensibly and avoid taking risks while overseas. It advises young students to avoid drugs, watch their alcohol intake, take out travel insurance and to become acquainted with local laws.
Full details of the travel advice for school-leavers can be found on the department's website at www.dfa.ie.
