Covid-19 leads to ‘dramatic’ fall in asylum applications
Fiona Finn, the CEO of the migrant and refugee rights centre, Nasc, said it was alarming that "the decrease in applications for international protection has coincided with a sharp increase in the waiting times for decisions". Picture: Dan Linehan
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a “dramatic” fall in the number of people seeking asylum in Ireland and across Europe.
Asylum applications in Ireland fell by more than 70% in the first 11 months of 2020, according to EU migration data.
Between January and November last year, the number of asylum applications fell to 1,405 compared to 4,790 in 2019.
Application numbers stood at between 245-305 in January and February and fell to 175 in March as the pandemic was taking hold in Ireland.
The number of asylum seekers seeking protection fell further to double-digit numbers in April (30), May (15) and June (40) but began to increase again as the country came out of lockdown in the summer — 105 applications in July, 120 in August, 175 in September, 130 in October and 65 in November. Figures are not yet available for December.
The downward trend in Ireland is in line with trends across Europe. New asylum applications fell by 33% in the EU last year, which the European Commission said allowed member states to reduce a backlog in applications waiting for decision.
By November last year, there were 19% fewer applications awaiting decision across the EU compared to December 2019. Over the same period, Ireland has reduced the backlog in applications awaiting decision by 11%.
Migrant and refugee rights group, Nasc, said the fall in applications is not unexpected but expressed concern over an increase in waiting times for a decision on asylum applications.
“The dramatic decrease in the numbers applying for international protection over 2020 is not unexpected,” Nasc chief executive Fiona Finn said
“The median waiting time for a person applying for international protection to receive their first decision is now over 17 months with an appeal taking a further nine months,” she added.
Ms Finn said “urgent action” is needed to address the backlog in applications, which stood at close to 6,500 cases in November:
“The backlog of cases could seriously undermine the soon-to-be-published White Paper which is supposed to put forward the Government’s plan to end direct provision within the lifetime of this government,” Ms Finn said. She urged the government to consider the “one-off” Day report recommendation to grant leave to remain to applicants in the system for more than two years.
“The minister could also start by looking at people in the protection process working in healthcare and other essential services during the Covid-19 pandemic,” she said.
