International protection applications rose 415% in 2022 – report
Michael Bolton
More than 13,600 applications were made by people seeking international protection in Ireland in 2022, a report by the European Migration Network (EMN) has shown, marking a 415 per cent increase on the previous year.
The EMN is an EU network that works within the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), providing information on migration and international protection.
As of April this year, a total of 141,600 people arrived in Ireland, an increase of 31 per cent on the previous year, and during which period 64,000 people left the State, marking an annual increase of 14 per cent.
Applications for international protection accounted for 1.3 per cent of the EU total, with the top three countries of origin among applicants being Georgia, Algeria and Somalia.
Last year also saw an increase in first-residence permits, with 85,793 permits issued. This was a 146 per cent increase on 2021, and a 45 per cent increase on 2019.
Just under half of those issued first-residence permits (48 per cent) did so for education reasons, while 23 per cent did so for employment.
A total of 1,180 appeals were made to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) in 2022, up 54 per cent on the previous year.
Ukraine
Figures from December 2022 show 67,448 people have arrived in Ireland from Ukraine under the Temporary Protection Directive.
Of those, 13 per cent were enrolled in primary education, 7 per cent in into secondary education, and 20 per cent in further education and training.
A total of 597 referrals of unaccompanied minors were made to the Child and Family Agency, Tusla in 2022, of which 261 were from Ukraine.
Overall, Tusla provided placements for 350 children, meaning there was a 200 per cent increase in the number of unaccompanied children being supported by Tusla at the end of 2022 compared to the end of 2021.
The number of people who applied for citizenship in 2022 was 17,188, showing an annual rise of 44 per cent to reach the highest figure since 2013.
The UK was the most common destination from which people applied Irish citizenship.
