Eighty-five percent of people who applied for international protection at Dublin Airport in 2023 arrived without a correct identity document.

In total, 4,712 people arrived at Dublin Airport and claimed asylum in 2023; 4,007 had either no or false identity documents.

Meanwhile of the 2,591 men who claimed asylum at Dublin Airport last year, almost 87% presented with no or false identity documents.

Independent Clare TD Michael McNamara said it is shocking the law is not being applied. 

“It’s an offence to present at the frontiers of the State without valid identity documents," he said.

"Last year the State didn’t seem to want to prosecute anyone, however in the last few weeks people have been prosecuted”.

Last week a man was jailed for two months as a "deterrent" for breaking immigration laws after turning up at Dublin Airport arrivals without a passport, identification or travel documents.

“I note prosecutions have started, this to be begs an awful lot of questions," Deputy McNamara said.

"Has a political decision now been taken to apply the law here? The Government need to explain their decision”.

Speaking at the cross-border policing conference at the Farnham Estate in County Cavan, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said the State is clamping down on asylum seekers who arrive here with either no or fake travel documents.

“The law is very clear here and we’ve seen prosecutions recently, so that is obviously the law being applied here," Minister Helen McEntee said.

"Every effort is being made to prevent people from coming here without documentation and that’s not going to stop those who genuinely need support.

“We have put a number of measures in place; be it liaison officers in other countries or enhanced training with airlines”.

In 2023, 13,227 international protection applicants arrived in Ireland, meaning just over one-third of all asylum applications in Ireland last year were made at the capital's airport.

It’s understood many asylum seekers now travel to the international protection office in Dublin, after first arriving in Belfast - something Minister McEntee said the State is clamping down on. 

“There are other people, many of whom who are coming through the border, who are arriving having got rid of documentation or using false documentation," she said.

"We are trying to prevent this too."

The figures were supplied to Newstalk by the Department of Justice via a freedom of information request.

Main image: Passengers at Dublin Airport's Terminal 1. Image: Piere Bonbon / Alamy