The number of people seeking asylum in the State fell to a nine-year low last year, new figures show.
Government figures revealed that 4,314 asylum applications were received in 2006, of which more than 800 of those people were deported, left voluntarily, or were transferred back to an EU country from which they had come.
Michael McDowell
The Department of Justice said the number of applications was slightly down on the 4,323 in 2005, a 9.5 per cent decrease on the 2004 figure of 4,766, and a 63 per cent decrease on the 2002 figure when 11,634 applications were received.
This is the lowest figure since 1997, when 3,883 people sought asylum in the State.
Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell welcomed the downward trend. He said it allows the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service to continue to increase the priority given to other areas of its operations such as processing applications and enhancing the deportation process for persons who have no protection needs.
The top five source countries for asylum applications in 2006 were Nigeria, Sudan, Romania, Iraq and Iran.
In total, 302 deportation orders were issued to non-EU countries. Some 294 were transferred under the so-called EU "Dublin II" regulation, under which applicants for asylum from outside the EU must apply in the first EU country they arrive in.
A total of 246 of the 302 were transferred to Britain, with the remainder to Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Italy, Malta, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
A further 227 people who would otherwise have been removed from the State, opted to return home voluntarily.
Mr McDowell said he was particularly pleased about the large increase in the number of transfer orders made under the regulation, which reduces the number of asylum applications that have to be processed in the State.
"The Government attaches particular importance to the use of the Dublin II arrangements and co-operation with other EU states, and in particular, the United Kingdom, and the use of this regulation will continue to be enhanced in 2007," he said.
PA