The majority of asylum seekers granted refugee status originally had their applications rejected by authorities, new figures show, writes Carl O'Brien, Social Affairs Correspondent
An analysis of the asylum process over the past six years shows that 60 per cent of the 6,800 refugees successfully appealed a decision by the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner (Orac) to turn down their applications.
Nigeria, followed by Romania, top the list of nations whose members were successful in appealing decisions by the office.
The Irish Refugee Council, which compiled the figures, expressed alarm that so many Nigerians were being turned down almost automatically at the first stage of the applications process.
The council's director, Peter O'Mahony, said: "Our concern is that some people who are proven to be refugees are spending much longer than necessary in a system where there is uncertainty and no access to work."
Individuals who seek asylum in Ireland may be recognised as refugees by Orac or on appeal by the Office of the Refugee Appeals Tribunal.
The refugee applications commissioner said the vast majority of its decisions were upheld and that new information relating to a case might be found at appeal stage.
The Department of Justice says the asylum applications process is being reviewed and likely to be streamlined under a reform of our immigration laws.
If unsuccessful at appeal, asylum seekers may apply to the Minister for Justice for "leave to remain". This is a relatively rare occurrence, with just 617 people being granted refugee status on this basis over the past six years.
While around 6,800 people have received refugee status, many asylum applicants were encouraged to apply for residency on the basis of parentage of an Irish-born child.
Of the 17,000 people who were granted residency on the basis of parentage of an Irish-born child, 10,000 had sought asylum.
Other figures show that over the past five years Ireland received just 2 per cent of almost two million asylum applications in Europe. The UK, France and Germany accounted for a combined total of 881,940 (45.3 per cent). Ireland was in 13th place behind the Czech Republic and just ahead of Greece and Poland.
Last year a total of 260,000 people sought asylum in Europe. Just over 4,000 (1.6 per cent) of these sought asylum in Ireland.
The number of applications for refugee status has been falling consistently in recent years due to reasons including a general drop in numbers arriving in Europe and ending of automatic citizenship for Irish-born children of foreign nationals.
Some 966 people were granted refugee status last year in Ireland, compared to a high of 1,992 in 2002.