Martindale Retrospectives Retrospective on Ross Hurwitz, “Ireland: From Emigrant Nation to Asylum-Seeker Destination” from Ireland: Taking the Next Step Perspectives on Business and Economics, Volume 19, 2001 Ross Hurwitz ‘01, is corporate secretary & chief legal officer at bpost, a Belgian company responsible for the delivery of national and international mail. Hurwitz examined the influx of asylum seekers in the wake of Irish economic growth in the 1990s and the effects of immigration system inefficiencies. Since this article was published, has Ireland continued to see a rise in asylum seekers? Ireland saw a dramatic increase in applications from asylum seekers in the late 1990s and early 2000s. To apply for refugee status or asylum, one must fear persecution because of race, religion, nationality, membership in a social group, or political opinion and be unable to seek protection in one’s own country. Asylum applications peaked in 2002, followed by a steady decrease in the years since. Recent asylum seekers have come from Georgia, Algeria, and Somalia. “13,492 asylum applications by refugees were received in 2022 in Ireland—according to UNHCR. 68 percent of asylum applications have been rejected in the first instance” (WorldData.info, n.d.). In 2022, there was a spike of refugees coming to Ireland, including many citizens from Ukraine fleeing the country because of conflict with Russia. However, refugees from Ukraine are not recorded as asylum seekers. In 2022, “The figures provided by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed there were a total of 67,448 arrivals from Ukraine” (Desku, 2023). Ireland has granted temporary protection to all Ukraine citizens. Has Ireland enacted more legislation since 2001 to protect asylum seekers? Since 2001, Ireland has passed more legislation relevant to asylum seekers. The International Protection Act of 2015 repealed the Immigration Acts of 1999, 2003, and 2004, which imposed restrictions on entry of non-Irish nationals. The International Protection Act “reforms the system for determining applications and introduces a single application procedure” (European Migration Network: Ireland, n.d.). Today, asylum seekers who have been in the country for six months or more and are still in the application process are permitted to work. “While refugees are waiting, they are entitled to direct provision. This means that [they] get: somewhere to live, meals, a weekly payment of €38.80 per adult and €29.80 per child, [and] a medical card” (Citizens Information Board, 2023). Because of the increase in asylum seekers, availability of housing and accommodations continues to be an issue. In addition to the problem of housing scarcity, application processing times are long. “Refugees were waiting an average of 23 months to hear an initial decision on their application in 2021. Even if their case was prioritized, the wait remained long: 14 months on average” (Magee, 2023). Many refugees are taking shelter in tents while they remain on housing waitlists. Makeshift camps occupied by asylum seekers have appeared in cities across Ireland. Tensions between far-right, anti-immigration Irish citizens and asylum seekers continue to grow as isolated attacks and protests occur across the country. References Citizens Information Board. (2023, January 27). Direct provision system. Desku, Arta. (2023, January 25). Ireland should prepare to receive over 80,000 migrants in 2023, minister says. SchengenVisaInfo.com. European Migration Network: Ireland. (n.d.). Immigration Protection Act 2015. Magee, C. (2023, May 25). Fleeing violence and persecution, asylum-seekers in Ireland find themselves threatened by far-right activists. CNN. WorldData.info. (n.d.). Asylum applications and refugees in Ireland. Retrospective by Randi Conroy ‘25 Finance, with mass communication minor 3 December 2023
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