The number of people seeking asylum in Ireland has almost doubled in the first six months of this year compared to the same period last year.
By the end of June there were 10,604 applicants for international protection (IP) in comparison with 5,470 by the end of June last year, a 93.9 per cent increase.
The figures from the Department of Justice show an additional 623 asylum seekers entered the State this month until July 9th. The figure to that date is 11,227.
At the start of the year Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman predicted 15,000 asylum seekers would be the “new normal” the State could expect in the coming years.
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On RTÉ's Prime Time on Thursday night, Mr O’Gorman said Ireland was not alone in Europe in seeing a significant increase in the number of people seeking protection.
At current projections that figure is likely to rise to between 21,000 to 22,000 by the end of this year, he said.
“That is the figure we are making provision for. Our comprehensive accommodation strategy is about delivering a core of 14,000 State-owned beds and we will need to rely on a commercial element on top of that as well,” he said.
Currently there are 31,473 people seeking international protection in Ireland.
This year’s figures are driven by a fourfold increase in people from Nigeria seeking asylum. Last year 764 Nigerians tried to claim asylum in the first six months; this year the figure is 2,999. Nigeria accounts for almost 30 per cent of all asylum seekers to the State this year, by far the greatest number from a single country.
Nigeria was not included in the revised list of safe countries of origin last week. Jordan (1,037), Pakistan (769), Somalia (649) and Bangladesh (649) are the other main countries of origin this year. The rest 4,486 (or 42.3 per cent) are from other countries.
In 2023 Algeria was the main country of origin for those seeking international protection. It was added to the list of safe countries in January and now no longer figures in the top five countries. Georgia, another country that was added to the list of safe countries last year, has also dropped out of the top five.
A safe country of origin is defined as one where there is “generally and consistently” no persecution, no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment and no threat from violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict.
Department of Justice figures reveal the number of failed asylum seekers who have been subject to deportation orders has increased by 76 per cent year on year.
To date 957 deportation orders have been signed compared to 744 by July 7th last year.
Enforced deportations are up 132 per cent (51 enforced deportations to date in 2024 compared to 22 last year).
Voluntary returns are up 145 per cent on the same period last year – from 109 to 267.
In May and June 2024, 84 people who were refused international protection either availed of supports to voluntarily return or were forcibly removed from the State through an escorted deportation.
Twelve of this cohort were the subject of an escorted deportation, while 72 returned voluntarily.
The issue of deportations has become a sensitive one for the Goverment. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee recently put out a tender for charter flights to deport individuals who no longer have permission to remain in the State.
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