Asylum applications at lowest level in 10 years
ASYLUM applications to Ireland have plunged to their lowest levels in over a decade amid a crackdown by immigration authorities.
The number of people looking for refuge is now at levels not seen since the late 1990s, and officials are also attributing this to the collapse in the economy. The drop in 2009, the year in which the recession hit hardest, was 35pc from 2008 levels.
Just 2,530 people sought asylum in Ireland this year -- and just under 10pc, or 220 applications, of those came from prisoners in detention.
Nigeria again came top among the countries looking for refuge, as it has done for the last five years, and accounted for over a fifth of the total.
Pakistan was next, followed by China and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The numbers looking to come 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 claims there has been a significant turnaround in this trend since five years ago, with the numbers decreasing year on year.
The latest figures -- which show applications until the end of November -- indicate a 35pc drop since last year.
Deported
Nigeria also topped the list when it came to failed asylum seekers being deported to non EU countries, with 149 sent out of Ireland in 2009. Georgian asylum seekers were next on the list with just 12 deported.
South Africa, Moldova and Croatia came next, although for confidentiality reasons, the Department of Justice does not release exact details when the total for each country is less than 10.
Another 232 were deported to countries within the EU under the Dublin II Regulation and 368 transfer orders were signed under the same regulations. The orders allow authorities here to send asylum seekers back to an EU country they travelled through in order to reach Ireland.
The Department of Justice says that fewer than one in 10 people are given refugee status first time around.
"The experience is that a large number of asylum applications produce no satisfactory, if in fact any, documentary evidence of their stated identity or nationality or method of travel to the State," a department statement said.
"The assessment of an asylum application includes consideration of the country and area the applicant comes from, and whether the applicant is likely to be persecuted in that particular country or area."
However, the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) said that asylum seekers must have their cases heard here.
"The reasons that applications for asylum to Ireland appear to have dropped are numerous -- including increased security which makes it harder for asylum seekers to access EU territory," said Roisin Boyd from the IRC.
"But those who seek protection will never stop seeking it no matter how many barriers are erected. No asylum seeker must ever be returned to a country where their life is in danger.
"At this time of year in particular it is important that we cherish the fact that we in Ireland live in a democracy and enjoy the freedoms that entails -- many asylum seekers do not have these freedoms and we must ensure they are allowed to apply for asylum and to have their cases heard in Ireland."
- Fiach Kelly
Irish Independent
