Asylum seeker arrivals hit 20-year high last month

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said there had not been a 'clampdown on immigration', but a 'crackdown on illegal migration'. Picture: PA

The number of asylum seekers who arrived in the State in January hit a new monthly record not seen in over 20 years.

A total of 1,774 people seeking international protection came to the country last month with officials in the Department of Justice confirming that it is the highest monthly figure since 2001 and 2002. This compares to 1,464 people in November and 1,427 in December last year.

According to sources, a meeting of Government officials on Friday was told of last month's “record number”

Justice Minister Helen McEntee added Algeria and Botswana to the ‘safe countries’ list last week and also confirmed that the Government is to begin chartering deportation flights with the aim of starting to fly people back to their country of origin later this year.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told reporters on Friday that he cannot guarantee that there will be a decrease in the numbers of asylum seekers coming in after tougher rules have been imposed.

Mr Varadkar said there had not been a “clampdown on immigration” but a “crackdown on illegal migration”.

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Asked if the latest measures will reduce the numbers of people seeking refuge here this year, Mr Varadkar said: “We can’t say that there’ll be a decrease.

“There are many numbers of factors that drive people to come to Ireland seeking international protection, most of which are outside of our control.” 

Officials at Friday’s meeting were also told that the number of Ukrainians coming to Ireland had dropped but has now surged again, ahead of the new rules which will see a cut to social welfare and a 90-day limit on State accommodation.

In a statement issued on Sunday, following another fire at a property earmarked to accommodate asylum seekers, Mr Varadkar said he wants to assure people that the State operates a rules-based immigration system, and applications are being processed in record time.

He said: "All applicants are registered, fingerprinted, checked against certain databases, and the circumstances surrounding their request for protection are examined thoroughly.

We aim to treat them with dignity and respect while their applications are considered.

“Like much of the world and all of Europe, we are dealing with a major increase in the numbers arriving here irregularly.

"Many, if not most, are fleeing conflict, grinding poverty, climate change, and human rights abuses in their home countries. We have robust border controls, extra checks at airports, and faster processing times."

The Irish Examiner reported last week that Government ministers had been informed there was an increase in the number of Ukrainians arriving.

For the seven days to the end of January 28, there were 628 Ukrainians who were offered temporary protection. This compares to 390 for the previous week.

The figures do not specify if Ukrainians who have arrived in Ireland in recent days are coming directly from Ukraine or another EU country.

Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman has also said the rise in the number of Ukrainians arriving here is likely to continue before the new rules come into effect — now likely to be at the end of the month.