Over 160,000 Immigration Applications Made In 2012

The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service received almost 166,000 new applications for visas, residence, asylum and citizenship in 2012, according to the Department of Justice.

The number of people seeking asylum in Ireland fell 26% from 2011.

Some 950 applications for asylum in Ireland were received last year, down from 1,290 in 2011 and from 11,600 at the peak in 2002.

There was also a drop of 650 in the number of people in asylum-seeker direct accommodation, such as hostels and bed and breakfasts, to 4,750 last year.

Almost 2,700 people were deported in 2012, with 2,260 of these being refused entry.

Nearly 300 people who had been living here, but who were refused asylum-seeker status or were deemed to be illegal immigrants were also deported. They were mainly from Nigeria, Pakistan, Georgia, Tanzania and South Africa.

Some 86 asylum seekers were sent back to the EU country where they first applied for asylum, and 55 Europeans were sent to their home countries under EU removal orders. Almost 500 people also returned home voluntarily rather than be deported. These included individuals from Brazil, Moldova, China, Mauritius and Georgia.

Over 25,000 citizenship applications were decided on, the department said, with 22,000 granted. Applications decided on were up from 16,000 in 2011 and approximately 8,000 in 2010.

(H/GK)