Ireland is experiencing an influx of asylum seekers that has been triggered by the UK’s new policy of deporting some migrants to Rwanda.
Taoiseach Micheal Martin said refugee accommodation was filling up with international arrivals who entered the state via the UK, at a time when its open-door strategy for refugees fleeing Ukraine has seen 40,000 people arrive from the conflict.
Travel between Ireland and the UK is open and barrier-free, and Northern Ireland has the only UK land border with the European Union.
Mr Martin said that of those at the reception centre for Ukrainians at Citywest in Dublin, 70 per cent 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.
