There has been a significant drop in the number of international protection applicants arriving in Ireland in recent weeks, raising hopes among officials of an easing of the asylum seeker accommodation crisis
A record 13,615 people sought international protection in 2022, leading to new arrivals having to sleep in substandard accommodation and sometimes in tents or on the streets.
Figures from the International Protection Accommodation Service also show a steady decline in new arrivals seeking housing. There were 172 new applications for IPAS services in the week ending February 19th, down from 350 a week at the start of the year. But IPAS remains under severe strain. It is currently housing 19,874 asylum seekers, including 4,139 children, in 172 locations around the country. This is a 90 per cent increase in a year and a 266 per cent increase since 2018.
It is too early to say what has caused the recent drop-off or if it will continue, sources said. Officials said it may be due to a number of complex factors, including changes in global migration patterns. The Department of Integration referred queries to the Department of Justice, which declined to comment on the trend.
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