Numbers applying for asylum in Ireland show sharp decline

EU: The number of people seeking asylum in EU member states dropped by 22 per cent last year and Ireland experienced one of the largest decreases - 32 per cent - of any member state.

Figures published yesterday by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees show the number of asylum-seekers arriving in the world's richest 36 countries fell by 20 per cent over all.

In 2002 Ireland had its largest intake of asylum-seekers on record at 11,630. However, last year that number fell to 7,900, a drop of 32 per cent. The total number of asylum-seekers coming to the EU dropped by 22 per cent to 288,000.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Ruud Lubbers, attributed the decrease to improving conditions in asylum-seekers' home countries.

"Most of the major groups of asylum-seekers - especially the Afghans, Iraqis and people from Serbia and Montenegro - have decreased in number, which reflects the significant changes in their home countries and regions."

The improvements in these countries "remained fragile", he said. "There needs to be continued investment of aid and resources in the regions of origin to ensure that the trend is not reversed."

The UNHCR report comes amid heated debate on asylum and illegal immigration in developed countries, with the UN refugee agency accusing politicians of often mixing up the two issues.

It has strongly criticised EU states for failing to forge a common policy on asylum-seekers who cite fear of political and religious persecution in their homelands, and immigration.

"Now that the numbers have dropped back to the levels we were seeing in the late 1980s, I hope the debate will focus once again on the vital need to protect refugees, as well as the need to find permanent solutions for them," Mr Lubbers said.

Britain remained the most popular destination receiving 61,050 asylum applications, against 60,670 filed in the United States - although both registered sharp drops. France (51,400) and Germany (50,450) followed. Figures were not received from Italy.

Russians were the top asylum-seeking nationality in 2003 with a total of 33,400, an increase of 68 per cent over 2002. Many of these are Chechens. They went mainly to Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany and Slovakia.

Iraqis, who topped the overall asylum-seekers list in 2002 with nearly 50,000, fell to third with 24,744 last year behind claimants from Serbia and Montenegro (24,753). Africans also filed fewer claims, as security improved in Angola, Sierra Leone and Democratic Republic of Congo.

Mr Peter O'Mahony, chief executive of the Irish Refugee Council, said the drop in numbers should be seen in the context of Government policy. "There is a high turn away at point of entry. Some 4,800 were turned away last year trying to get in."

While some were turned away legitimately, many were genuine asylum-seekers, he said.