Minister Dermot Ahern announces end of year asylum statistics
The Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Mr Dermot Ahern T.D., today announced provisional asylum figures for the year 2010.
In all, some 1,939 asylum applications were received in the State in 2010 representing a 27.9% decrease on the corresponding figure of 2,689 in 2009. This is the second successive year that asylum applications have fallen dramatically with applications now running at about half their 2008 level. More strikingly, asylum application numbers are now just one sixth of the peak figure of 11,634 reached in 2002. Since then the number of applications has fallen continuously. Indeed, asylum application numbers are now at levels not observed since the mid-nineties.
There were 1,266 (65.3%) male and 673 (34.7%) female asylum applications in 2010, while the corresponding figures in 2009 were 1,759 (65.4%) male and 931 (34.6%) female applications. This roughly 2-to-1 male-to-female ratio in asylum applications made in Ireland has persisted over time.
The top five source nationalities for applications in 2010 were Nigeria (20.0%), followed by China (11.8%), Pakistan (10.3%), DR Congo (3.6%) and Afghanistan (3.6%). In 2009, Nigeria, Pakistan and China respectively were also the three largest source nationalities. Furthermore, over the past ten years Nigerians have consistently been the largest single source nationality for asylum applications reaching a peak of nearly 40% of all applications in 2003. In relative terms, the 20% share of asylum applications made by Nigerians in 2010 is just half the size of the 40% share recorded in 2003.
The Minister indicated that the reduction in the number of asylum applications over the years has resulted from, among other things, the success of strategies aimed at combating across the spectrum abuses of the asylum process and the streamlining of processing arrangements in the asylum area.
In assessing the figures for 2010 the Minister noted that:
247 deportation orders to non-EU countries were effected in respect of failed asylum seekers, representing a small increase of just 4% over the number of orders effected in 2009. The enforcement rate for deportation orders, that is deportations orders effected as a proportion of deportation orders signed in 2010, was almost 30%.
142 transfer orders to other European States were effected under the Dublin II Regulation, representing an enforcement rate of 54% for effecting transfer orders signed in 2010. This compares to 61% in 2009, 74% in 2008 and 62% in 2007. Ireland's enforcement rate in this regard is high by European standards and is due in the main to a number of strategies that have been adopted to improve the operation of the Dublin II Regulation in Ireland.
An additional 183 failed asylum seekers who would otherwise have been removed from the State opted to be assisted to return home voluntarily.
When voluntary returns, deportations and Dublin II transfers are taken into account, a total of 572 persons in the asylum system were either assisted to return home voluntarily, or removed from the State in 2010.
Commenting on these statistics, the Minister stated "I welcome the progress that continues to be made in the processing of asylum applications, particularly in light of the considerable challenge involved in this regard down the years. The reduction in asylum applications in Ireland is a reflection of the ongoing work within the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service including the asylum agencies to combat abuse while at the same time ensuring fairness and improving the effectiveness and efficiency of procedures in this area.
Sham Marriages
Our application numbers also need to be considered in light of the nearly 1,900 applications made in 2010 by non-EU nationals for residence based on marriage to an EU national in Ireland under EU Treaty Rights (EUTR) legislation. The numbers involved now almost equal our asylum application numbers. The largest non-EU nationality group making such applications were from Pakistan which accounted for nearly 20% of all EUTR applications. More significantly, I would draw attention to the fact that almost two-thirds of these Pakistani applications involved an EU partner from the Baltic States. The high incidence of such marriages, several involving asylum seekers, is an ongoing concern that my officials in co-operation with their colleagues in other interested EU states continue to monitor. In view of that, in addition to the interviewing of applicants, I have asked my officials to examine as a matter of urgency the possibility of deploying biometric technology in the context of visa applications from Pakistan. This technology has proven to be very effective to date, particularly in the area of tackling abuses in the asylum, immigration and visa areas of activity."
I am also pleased with the continued effective utilisation of the Dublin II Regulation which is a cornerstone of the European asylum system. These transfers reduce the number of asylum applications which have to be processed in the State and their associated cost."
In conclusion, the Minister thanked the staff in the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service and its related agencies (ORAC, RAT and RIA) for their work during the year. He applauded the working relationship that exists between the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service and the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Once again he paid tribute to the Garda National Immigration Bureau for the critical work it undertakes in areas such as border management and illegal immigration generally, and moreover for the key enforcement work it undertakes in effecting removals from the State.
7 January 2011
Year |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
April |
May |
June |
July |
Aug |
Sept |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1997 |
235 |
243 |
199 |
380 |
423 |
454 |
378 |
354 |
326 |
307 |
241 |
343 |
3883 |
1998 |
321 |
425 |
632 |
407 |
390 |
440 |
449 |
407 |
313 |
246 |
278 |
318 |
4626 |
1999 |
234 |
234 |
358 |
315 |
381 |
453 |
571 |
962 |
938 |
1051 |
1010 |
1217 |
7724 |
2000 |
976 |
864 |
972 |
1036 |
802 |
677 |
773 |
919 |
963 |
1098 |
1096 |
762 |
10938 |
2001 |
840 |
706 |
763 |
741 |
838 |
882 |
961 |
983 |
855 |
892 |
904 |
960 |
10325 |
2002 |
838 |
763 |
932 |
888 |
795 |
869 |
1133 |
995 |
1199 |
1148 |
984 |
1090 |
11634 |
2003 |
979 |
947 |
892 |
667 |
604 |
661 |
646 |
655 |
611 |
496 |
395 |
347 |
7900 |
2004 |
392 |
363 |
501 |
377 |
403 |
324 |
371 |
401 |
466 |
329 |
409 |
430 |
4766 |
2005 |
393 |
377 |
489 |
320 |
322 |
315 |
325 |
348 |
372 |
320 |
346 |
396 |
4323 |
2006 |
405 |
313 |
438 |
282 |
412 |
278 |
313 |
332 |
422 |
394 |
415 |
310 |
4314 |
2007 |
385 |
333 |
347 |
277 |
318 |
316 |
358 |
294 |
318 |
356 |
343 |
340 |
3985 |
2008 |
329 |
296 |
299 |
300 |
301 |
330 |
339 |
333 |
360 |
357 |
325 |
297 |
3866 |
2009 |
254 |
270 |
270 |
241 |
229 |
244 |
218 |
226 |
197 |
203 |
176 |
161 |
2689 |
2010 |
189 | 176 | 167 | 161 | 179 | 154 | 162 | 174 | 155 | 143 | 154 | 125 | 1939 |
| 2010 | 2009 | |||||
Country of Origin |
Number of applicants |
as % of overall applicants |
Country of Origin |
Number of applicants |
as % of overall applicants |
|
Nigeria |
387 |
20.0% |
Nigeria |
570 |
21.2% |
|
China |
228 |
11.8% |
Pakistan |
257 |
9.6% |
|
Pakistan |
200 |
10.3% |
China |
194 |
7.2% |
|
DR Congo |
70 |
3.6% |
DR Congo |
102 |
3.8% |
|
Afghanistan |
69 |
3.6% |
Zimbabwe |
91 |
3.4% |
|
Others |
985 |
50.8% |
Others |
1,475 |
54.9% |
|
Total |
1,939 |
100.0% |
Total |
2,689 |
100.0% |
|