14% of international protection applications in Ireland so far this year were made at Dublin Airport, according to new figures released by the Department of Justice. 

3,195 asylum seekers have arrived in Ireland up until April 4th. 

This is a significant reduction on the first three months of last year when 5,151 people applied for international protection up until the end of March 2024.

434 of the asylum applications for 2025 to date were made at Dublin Airport, while only five were made at the country's ports.

86% (2,743) of applications so far in 2025 were made at the international protection office.

The increased cohort claiming asylum in Dublin is believed to be caused by those travelling from Northern Ireland and availing of the Common Travel Area with the UK.

Former Justice Minister Helen McEntee generated controversy last year when she claimed 80% of asylum-seekers were coming from Northern Ireland - a figure Micheál Martin sought to downplay at the time, insisting the figure was not “statistical”.

Helen McEntee TD with Gardaí. Picture by: Karlis Dzjamko Credit: Karlis Dzjamko/Alamy Live News

However, the new Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has since said that there is evidence that a significant number of people seeking asylum in Ireland are travelling from Northern Ireland - and these latest figures from his Department back that up. 

Meanwhile, between the New Year and April 4th, there were 480 asylum seekers deported from the country. 

This includes enforced deportations, deportations by charter flights and voluntary deportations. 

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said that, “We know that a much larger number of people will have left the State without being escorted. However as there are no routine exit checks, it is not possible to quantify this number”.

Main image: Dublin Airport Terminal Two. Picture by: Alamy Stock Photo