In response to a Parliamentary Question from Rural Independent TD for Laois/Offaly, Carol Nolan, the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, supplied figures which show that between the beginning of 2022 and March 31 this year, a total of 10,081 persons had arrived into the state and been found to be in possession of false or no documentation.
The tables supplied by the Minister for that period reveal that more than 1 in 5, or 21%, of those arriving with false or no identification, came from Georgia, with 2,156 persons recorded since January 2022. As we have pointed out previously, Georgia is not a war-torn country.
A further 15%, or 1,529 persons came from Somalia without correct papers, while another 990, or almost 10% came from Zimbabwe.
A previous analysis showed that 85% of people who applied for asylum at Dublin Airport in 2023 arrived without correct identification.
The table below details the number of arrivals who were not in possession of correct identifying documentation or had no identifying documentation in 2022.
| Nationality | Total |
| Georgian | 1538 |
| Somali | 920 |
| Zimbabwean | 540 |
| Syrian | 506 |
| Iranian | 391 |
| Kuwaiti | 316 |
| Eritrean | 233 |
| Albanian | 202 |
| Algerian | 178 |
| Iraqi | 96 |
| Chinese | 92 |
| Palestinian | 88 |
| Yemeni | 86 |
| Sudanese | 83 |
| Afghan | 82 |
| Congolese (DRC) | 74 |
| Nigerian | 47 |
| Indian | 40 |
| Ethiopian | 34 |
| South African | 31 |
| Togolese | 27 |
| Sri Lankan | 26 |
| Others | 170 |
| Total | 5800 |
The total number for 2022 was 5,800. The main nationalities were Georgian, Somali, Zimbabwean, Syrian and Iranian. The Minister, in her response, claimed that there had been a “significant reduction” in the numbers who presented without the proper identification in 2023, but that still amounted to 4,159 persons.
Georgians, Somalians, Zimbabweans and Syrians again were among the leading five nationalities in 2023 along with 472 persons from China. As Gript has previously reported, based on other official statistics, most of those who arrive without proper documentation are still allowed to enter the country and to apply for asylum.
The table below details the number of arrivals who were not in possession of correct identifying documentation or had no identifying documentation in 2023.
| Nationality | Total |
| Georgian | 526 |
| Somali | 486 |
| Chinese | 472 |
| Zimbabwean | 371 |
| Syrian | 335 |
| Iranian | 313 |
| Albanian | 278 |
| Eritrean | 198 |
| Kuwaiti | 191 |
| Afghan | 183 |
| Iraqi | 123 |
| Indian | 122 |
| Algerian | 115 |
| Sudanese | 100 |
| Congolese (DRC) | 60 |
| South African | 57 |
| Palestinian | 48 |
| Yemeni | 36 |
| Nigerian | 32 |
| Ethiopian | 18 |
| Turkish | 11 |
| Others | 84 |
| Total | 4159 |
For the year to 31 March 2024, the following was also supplied:
The table below details the number of arrivals who were not in possession of correct identifying documentation or had no identifying documentation in 2024 to 31 March.
| Somali | 123 |
| Albanian | 107 |
| Georgian | 92 |
| Syrian | 90 |
| Zimbabwean | 79 |
| Iranian | 58 |
| Eritrean | 52 |
| Afghan | 40 |
| Kuwaiti | 38 |
| Chinese | 36 |
| Sudanese | 31 |
| Congolese (DRC) | 17 |
| Palestinian | 16 |
| Algerian | 10 |
| Others | 63 |
| Total | 852 |