The Government will announce an agreement with the Nigerian government this week on deporting unsuccessful Nigerian asylum-seekers.
Nigerians are the largest single group of asylum-seekers now entering the State. The measure is not expected to reduce the number already in the State significantly, but it may slow the number of Nigerians seeking asylum in Ireland.
Following the conclusion of a similar agreement with Romania, the number of Romanians seeking refugee status in the State dropped significantly.
In January 88 of the 840 people who applied for asylum were from Romania, compared to over 20 per cent of all asylum-seekers last year.
Nigerians and Romanians accounted for about half of all asylum-seekers last year. Of the 10,938 applications made, 3,404 were from Nigeria and 2,384 from Romania. A reduction in the number of Nigerians would have a significant impact on the total figures.
The agreement will mean that protocols for deporting Nigerians found to be illegally in the State will be agreed with the Nigerian government. These did not exist before, and there was a possibility that some of those being deported would not be readmitted.
All the Irish legal, administrative and Garda procedures for effecting deportations will remain the same, so there is not likely to be an immediate impact on the numbers already in the State.
In the past three years more than 5,500 Nigerians have sought asylum here. Those who have gone through the asylum process have been markedly unsuccessful in gaining refugee status, and no more than 10 per cent of them are likely to succeed.
The pace at which applications are being processed has increased. Last year saw a threefold increase in the number being deal with, with 6,493 initial applications and 3,086 appeals determined.
The number of people seeking asylum is also decreasing. Various reasons are advanced for this. The impending introduction of legislation that would make carriers liable for illegal entrants has prompted the ferry companies to be more vigilant in preventing those suspected of attempting illegal entry from getting on to boats. Members of the Garda Siochana are in France assisting immigration authorities there.
In addition, the foot-and-mouth crisis has had an impact. Travel restrictions generally, and in particular the increased security at the Border, have made it more difficult for people without proper papers to use land routes.
