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Garda immigration officers at Dublin airport Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

Number of asylum seekers down by one-third

New figures show a continuing fall in the number of people applying for asylum – now just over one-tenth of what it was in 2002.

THE NUMBER OF people applying for asylum in Ireland has fallen by more than one-third since last year, new figures from the Department of Justice show.

Some 1,250 people made applications for asylum in 2011. In 2010 the figure was 1,939.

The figures come as Minister for Justice Alan Shatter announced the launch of a new pilot project, under which border controls at Dublin airport would be manned by civilians rather than gardaí.

The flow of asylum seekers has reduced to a trickle since 2002, when 11,600 people applied for asylum in one year. The Department of Justice said this represented “the use of the asylum system by economic migrants at its peak”.

Currently 5,400 people are housed in direct provision centres in Ireland as they await decisions on their asylum applications. Some 280 failed asylum seekers were deported in 2011, along with 3,700 people who were refused entry to Ireland.

The figures also show a broader fall in the number of people from outside Europe living in Ireland. The Government  estimates that approximately 130,500 non-EEA nationals currently have visas to remain in the State, down from 132,200 a year ago and 134,000 two years ago.

The largest proportion of these non-EEA nationals are from India, followed by China, Brazil, Nigeria, the Philippines and the USA.

However, there was an eight per cent rise in the number of entry visa applications in 2011. India again accounted for the largest share of these, followed by Russia, China, Turkey and Saudi Arabia.

The Department of Justice raised €29million from visa and permit fees in 2011.

This month, civilian staff from the Department of Justice will begin replacing gardaí at border control booths at Dublin airport. The department said this would free officers to work on “frontline policing duties”.

Commenting on the new figures, Minister Shatter said: “The immigration system can significantly aid economic activity and it is my priority that the system is utilised to the greatest extent possible in that respect.”

More: Ireland and UK to sign deal on tougher border controls>

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31 Comments
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    Mute Daragh8008
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    Jul 31st 2015, 7:08 AM

    Visibility is also hampered when your looking at your phone, while hammering it down the road. Please don’t do it.

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    Mute Carmo Vanderval
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:53 AM

    OMG! How else am I supposed to post FB duckie face selfies of me driving? Selfish.

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    Mute Jake Race
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    Jul 31st 2015, 10:18 AM

    “How else am I supposed to post FB duckie face selfies of me driving?”

    True. Some people just don’t think.

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    Mute Stephen Duggan
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    Jul 31st 2015, 6:14 AM

    Only if drivers don’t slow down and adapt and react to the conditions. Too many out there think you can do the same speed in any conditions, that’s the problem, not the weather.

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    Mute Carmo Vanderval
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    Jul 31st 2015, 10:01 AM

    TBH both times I lost control of a car I was doing about 5 miles an hour around a bend, now both times I think it was oil on the road, but once it could have been weather conditions. I couldn’t really have been going any slower. I’m driving 14 years and have a clean sheet in every regard and I understand where you’re coming from but its not always true, especially in the weather conditions described.

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    Mute niall mullins
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:18 PM

    But my licence said I should “tear along the dotted line”.

    40
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Jul 31st 2015, 7:26 AM

    Take care on this October bank holiday. What? It’s August? Ah FFS!!!

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    Mute Michele Tobin
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    Jul 31st 2015, 6:51 AM

    Was drinking in Mayo years ago. There was a huge cloud burst, once I saw the MO regs pull into the side I knew it was time for me to do it too. Of course there was idiots still trying to carry on in zero visibility!

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    Mute Thomas Barry
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    Jul 31st 2015, 7:07 AM

    I take it you mean driving there Michele!

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    Mute Michele Tobin
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    Jul 31st 2015, 7:13 AM

    Ahhh ffs!!

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    Mute David Conroy
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    Jul 31st 2015, 7:42 AM

    The idiots now put on their fog lights in the rain !

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    Mute Alan White
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    Jul 31st 2015, 8:31 AM

    David, a common misconception is that full-beams are fog lights. This is not true. Fog lights are small lights.

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    Mute David Conroy
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    Jul 31st 2015, 10:04 AM

    Correct Alan but it’s amazing how many people do not know that they are to be used in fog and heavy snowfall only. Nothing worse than an idiot coming over the brow of a hill with their fogs on in the rain !

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    Mute The Viking
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:27 PM

    Fog lights should be used in severe downpours. front fogs only. And if you are motorway driving dont pull into hard shoulder and stop as this can lead to major accidents. Slow down, keep a safe distance from veichles infront and exit at next junction and wait till rain dies down and you feel comfortable enough to resume your journey. Be safe everyone..

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    Mute David Conroy
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:55 PM

    @The Viking. As I said, it’s amazing how many people do not have a knowledge of the Rules Of The Road. For a very good reason fog lights should never ever be used in the rain. Water reflects high intensity light. Dipped headlights only in heavy rain but when you see a fool with fogs on in rain or on a sunny day, keep well away from them, they are likely to be lacking in other driving skills !

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    Mute Kate Kelly
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    Jul 31st 2015, 7:30 AM

    In France speed limits are variable to allow for weather conditions, the higher 130kph limit drops to 90kph when roads are wet. Pity our government is too busy taking us for fools to consider introducing something similar.

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    Mute Sean ORegan
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    Jul 31st 2015, 8:33 AM

    is the Government responsible for your individual choices?

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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:25 PM

    Correct Kate.. idiots would be less likely to drive at 130kmh if the speed limit was dropped to 90kmh due to bad weather conditions. Although the RSA or the Gardai don’t give two shits about inappropriate speeders but prefer to concentrate on those doing 5kmh over the limit

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    Mute Jeffrey McMahon
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:20 PM

    Sean, the government isn’t even responsible for it’s own individual choices by all accounts.

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    Mute Malachi Shanks
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:57 AM

    Put your shagging lights on ! It doesn’t cost you anything and it’s so the rest of us can see you not the other way around . Don’t even bother with token parking lights either !!

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    Mute Shawn Rahoon
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    Jul 31st 2015, 1:44 PM

    ….and have them on at ALL times.

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    Mute John Curry
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    Jul 31st 2015, 6:36 AM

    ah its a soft day.

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    Mute Matt Connolly
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    Jul 31st 2015, 9:43 AM

    Should read “People with their heads up their arses and not driving to suit the conditions set to make traffic collisions almost inevitable”

    p.s. – look twice for motorbikes please. :)

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    Jul 31st 2015, 8:22 AM

    Summer you say??

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    Mute Dublin Living
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    Jul 31st 2015, 4:39 PM

    Would you MORONS turn on your F*CKING lights when it’s raining? And not your parking lights, yous actual HEADLIGHTS?!

    I am going to beat and strangle someone soon who is too thick to realise when they should have lights on. I would be in favour of the guards confiscating cars from such drivers, they are a menace.

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    Mute Brendan
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    Jul 31st 2015, 10:04 AM

    From what I see with people driving in downpours is drop it a gear and floor it! Oh and check facebook see who else is out driving in the rain coz that’s wayyyy more important than the other road users ffs

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    Mute Martin Brady
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    Jul 31st 2015, 12:24 PM

    Just testing.

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