Ireland: Asylum Applications To Hit 12,000 by End of 2025.

Data source: International Protection Office (IPO) Ireland. Chart by Orunmila.

Over 54,000 Asylum Applications Since 2021

The end of COVID-era restrictions on travel saw application for asylum in Ireland to surge. While 2025 is on course to be slightly lower than 2022, 2023, and 2024, numbers are still high.

Ireland was traditionally a country people migrated from rather than to. This began to change as Ireland’s “Celtic Tiger” economy picked up in the late 1990s. However, even in the 21st century there were periods when more people left Ireland than entered.(i) This began to shift dramatically following the end of COVID-era border closures, which saw applications for asylum surge. Asylum applications in 2022 and 2023 were nearly triple the rate they had been in 2019, the last year before the pandemic.(ii)

Analysis and Implications

Applications on Track to Hit Over 12,000 by End of Year

At the current rate, asylum applications will top 12,000 by the end of 2025. This will be lower than the years preceding it, but still high by pre-COVID standards.

Ireland Proves Geography is No Guarantee of Border Security

Ireland is one of the most distant EU nations from migration source countries in Africa and Asia. Yet Ireland is still receiving large numbers of applicants from these regions.

Ireland is a Popular Destination

Ireland has several pull factors, such as being English-speaking, and being perceived as having generous access to welfare and job markets.

Sources:

i) Irish Central Statistics Office. https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-ieu50/irelandandtheeuat50/society/migration/

ii) International Protection Office (IPO) Statistics. https://ipo.gov.ie/en/ipo/pages/statistics

Orunmila Research is a consultancy specializing in migration analysis, international affairs, and geopolitical risk. We provide independent, evidence-based, data-driven analysis at the intersection of migration, conflict, and policy. We help governments, NGOs, and institutions understand the deeper, complex drivers behind border movements and instability to allow for a more informed and impactful debate.