Asylum requests drop by 40% in a year
Overall, the numbers seeking asylum dropped 40% year-on-year, but Nigeria still provides the highest number of asylum seekers.
The number of asylum seekers from Iraq dropped by over 60% from 203 to 75. The numbers from Georgia also fell by over 50% from 181 in 2008 to 78 so far this year.
Last year, 3,866 people made asylum applications. This year to the end of October, that number fell to 2,354.
Nigerians are still making the most applications for asylum.
The figures were supplied by the Department following a parliamentary question by Fianna Fáil deputy Chris Andrews.
This year to date, 499 Nigerians sought asylum compared with 1009 in 2008 – a sharp drop in numbers compared with last year.
The second highest numbers of applicants come from Pakistan, with 216 making applications this year compared with 237 last year.
Applications from China have held steady year on year, with 180 in 2008 and 169 so far this year.
Up to 173 applications were received from the Democratic Republic of Congo last year, but this year the figure had fallen to 91.
The numbers of Somalians coming also fell from 141 to 77.
In addition, in 2008, 161 deportations were carried out, while in 2009, up to end of October, a total of 240 deportations took place.
According to the Department of Justice, many of these deportations could have been on foot of orders signed the year previously.
A total of 757 deportation orders were signed last year compared with 939 so far this year.
