Asylum applications hit 10-year low

Applications by asylum seekers to live in Ireland have dropped to the lowest level in ten years, the Government said today.

The Minister for Justice and Equality Brian Lenihan welcomed the cut, which he put down to official strategies designed at combating abuses of the system.

There were 3,985 people who applied for asylum in the State last year, according to the latest figures.

Another 776 people were either forced to leave the Republic of Ireland or voluntarily left after failing to secure asylum status.

Last year saw the lowest number of asylum applications since 1997 – and a 66% decrease from 2002, the year the Government has highlighted as a turning point.

“I welcome the continuing downward trend in asylum applications,” said Mr Lenihan.

He said it will allow the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) to focus more on visas, citizenship and other immigration functions.

Asylum applications to Ireland rose dramatically from just 39 in 1992 to a high of 11,634 in 2002, roughly in line with the economic success of the country.

But the Government said there has been a significant turnaround in this trend since five years ago, with the numbers decreasing year on year since then.

There were 135 people deported to non-EU countries last year and another 225 sent to other European States through the so-called Dublin II Regulation transfer orders.

The regulation allows Irish authorities to send asylum seekers back to an EU country they travelled through before reaching Ireland.

Another 416 people, threatened with being thrown out of the State, asked to be helped make their way back home voluntarily.

That number was up significantly from 238 seeking assisted returns in 2006.

Nigeria, Iraq, China, Pakistan and Georgia were the top five countries last year people sought asylum from in Ireland.

The previous year, most applications were sourced from Nigeria, Sudan, Romania, Iraq and Iran.

Mr Lenihan said the Government’s Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, published last year, will pave the way for a comprehensive overhaul of immigration laws.

“I am satisfied that the implementation of the new Bill when enacted, together with other related developments such as the major IT projects being developed in the areas of fingerprinting, visas and case management, will enhance the capacity and effectiveness of the INIS to provide a ”one stop shop“ for immigration, protection, visas and citizenship services,” he said.