It has emerged that the independent body set up to advise the Government on the granting of refugee status recommended last year that over 6,000 applications should be refused.
In its first annual report, published today, the Office of the Refugee Applications Commissioner said that in 2001, only 467 applications received the Commissioner's support.
It said 2,000 applicants failed to attend a second interview. Another 600 applications were regarded as manifestly unfounded.
The Office said it had processed more than 20,000 cases since November, 2000.
Launching the report today the Minister for Justice said the Government is committed to tackling abuse of the asylum system.
Minister McDowell said the growing misuse of the refugee process needed to be redressed to preserve the integrity of the system.
Deportations were an essential part of preserving that integrity, he said. But the Minister also appealed to the public not to judge immigrants to this county.
Earlier, U2 singer Bono urged Ireland to be very careful about its immigration policy.
Speaking on Today with Vincent Browne, Bono said that Irish people should keep in mind the Diaspora all over the world who had made other countries their homes when Ireland’s economy was less than prosperous.
