More than 180 asylum seekers who arrived in Ireland last year failed to show up for their first official interview and never entered the refugee system.
Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act revealed in 41 of these instances the applicant provided a reasonable cause and the interview was rescheduled.
Last year, 13,651 people arrived in Ireland seeking refuge - a 186% increase on 2019, the most recent comparable pre-pandemic year.
Labour's Justice spokesperson Aodhan Ó Ríordáin says the figures highlight problems within the asylum system in Ireland.
“I think the system is swamped,” he said.
“There isn’t a coordination approach across Government; I think Minister Roderic O’Gorman is not being supported by other Departments.
“If we have a small number of people who are outside the system and in the country without adequate oversight - that’s not something that is desirable.”
Earlier this week, Minister Roderic O’Gorman said the State is providing accommodation to roughly 80,000 refugees and international protection applicants - of whom some 66,000 are from Ukraine.
Main image: Asylum seekers queueing outside the Refugee Application Centre on Mount Street in Dublin. Image: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews
