20% of failed asylum seekers deported

Almost half of all asylum applicants failed to turn up for their interview last year, according to the 2002 annual report of the Department of Justice.

For every five deportation orders made, only one failed asylum-seeker was actually deported while one was returned voluntarily, the report also states.

While a total of 2,430 deportation orders were made in 2002, 521 people were deported and 506 were returned voluntarily.

Some 3,490 failed asylum-seekers evaded deportation or were not at their last-known address so a deportation order could be served.

Some 11,634 applications for asylum were received last year, the highest in the history of the State. This figure compares with just 31 applications in 1991 and 10,325 in 2001.

Nigeria, Romania, Moldova, Zimbabwe and Ukraine are the main countries of origin for asylum-seekers arriving in Ireland. Nigerians accounted for 4,050, or 35 per cent, of applications, and Romanians 1,677, or 14.4 per cent.

Last year 12,677 interviews were scheduled with asylum-seekers, but only 5,997 of these went ahead. The number of "no-shows" is recorded at 4,499, while 2,181 were cancelled.

Some 893 applicants were awarded refugee status, but 7,469 were refused.

However, the recognition rate rises at appeal stage. Some 1,097 first-instance decisions were set aside last year, while 3,606 were confirmed.

Over 4,000 people were granted leave to remain on the basis of having an Irish-born child in 2002.

There has also been a big increase in the number of people applying for naturalisation as Irish citizens. Last year 2,574 applications were received, compared to 1,431 in 2001.

The average processing time for applications for naturalisation was 15 months, the same as the previous year, in spite of a fivefold increase.

The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment issued 40,000 work permits to workers from non-EEA countries in 2002. This compared to 36,000 in 2001 and 18,000 in 2000.

The report notes in a section on equality that the percentage of women on State boards has risen from 15 per cent in 1992 to 29 per cent last year. Government and ministerial appointments of women have increased from 17 per cent to 34 per cent over the same period.