The UK Government's Rwanda scheme may have resulted in an increase in international protection applicants into Ireland, according to Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
Britain's plan is to send migrants and asylum-seekers who cross the Channel thousands of kilometres away to Rwanda, as its government tries to clamp down on record numbers of people making the journey.
Mr Martin made the comments after it emerged on last night that Ireland had a "severe shortage" of state accommodation for Ukrainian refugees.
Speaking from Government Buildings, Mr Martin said that of those at the reception centre for Ukrainians at Citywest in Dublin, 70% are now international protection applicants.
"We will be analysing this, but something has happened in the last two to three months in terms of the surge within international protection applicants, something has clearly happened," the Taoiseach said.
"Anecdotally or intuitively, one can see, and maybe sense that that policy announcement, which I thought was a wrong policy announcement by the UK, a shocking sort of initiative in my view, to be doing some agreement with Rwanda, clearly may have motivated people utilising the Common Travel Area to come into the Republic - yes, I think it is one of a number of factors."
In a statement this evening, the Government : "Alongside the arrivals from Ukraine, we have seen a very significant rise in the number of people seeking International Protection (IP) here. 7,080 IP applicants have arrived in Ireland this year up to 13th July. This compares with 2,648 IP arrivals for the whole of 2021. These applicants also require accommodation. 13,917 IP applicants are currently being accommodated by the State (compared to 7,000 at this time last year). There is now a severe shortage of available accommodation."
The Department Justice is "examining the factors which may have contributed to the significant increase in IP applications and will continue to take all necessary steps to manage the IP process efficiently".
"This includes resuming normal pre-pandemic immigration arrangements, such as the enforcement of deportation orders for unsuccessful IP applications, following fair procedure and allowing for all available avenues for appeal," the Government said.
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Irish Red Cross Secretary General Liam O'Dwyer agreed with the Taoiseach's statement, saying that he suspected that the increase of those seeking international protection is due to the UK's Rwanda scheme.
"What's happened is that the influx of people from Ukraine has suddenly increased. I think it had levelled out and now it has increased. And then to compound the accommodation matter, additional refugees have come from other countries seeking international protection," he told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
"Ultimately, twice the number that had come before from other countries, and I suspect that has to do with what's going on in Britain with the 'Rwanda solution' as they describe it."
