Ireland received the third highest number of asylum applications per 1,000 in Europe last year and ranks tenth on the UNHCR list of top 25 European destinations for asylum-seekers, according to statistics published today.
Provisional data provided by governments to UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) indicate that 452,000 displaced people submitted asylum applications to 25 European countries in 2000, four per cent less than the previous year when 471,000 applications were recorded.
The sharp decrease in applications submitted last year by citizens from the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia - after ethnic Albanians fled in droves during the 1999 Kosovo conflict - accounted for the difference, the UNHCR said.
UNHCR spokesman Mr Ron Redmond said that in the 15 European Union member states, the number of applications rose by 0.5 per cent last year to nearly 390,000 from 387,000 in 1999.
When compared to the size of the total national population, Ireland received the third largest number of asylum applications in European during 2000 (2.93 applications per 1,000 inhabitants). This is an increase from eight position in 1999.
Slovenia received the largest number of asylum-seekers per person in Europe during 2000 (4.7 per 1,000 inhabitants) followed by Belgium (4.2).
Britain received the largest number of asylum applications – 97,900 or 22 per cent of the total number of applications lodged in Europe.
But Germany had 78,000 applications in 2000, a drop of 17 per cent, while the Netherlands climbed into third place with 43,900 after a jump of 10 per cent. Belgium was the fourth largest recipient of applications (42,690) and France fifth (38,590).
Ireland came tenth in European, up from 13th in 1999, with 10,920 applications or 2.4 per cent of the European total. This is an increase of 41.5 per cent from 7, 720 applications in 1999.
Yugoslav citizens were still the largest asylum group in 2000, submitting 52,300 applications in Europe - some 64 per cent less than the year before (115,850). They were followed by Iraqi nationals (34,700), the second largest group in 2000.
Additional reporting: Reuters