The statistical annex of the Annual Report on Migration and Asylum for 2023 published by Eurostat on Wednesday raises interesting questions regarding the nature of inward migration into the Irish state. It also indicates that this country is very much an outlier when compared to other EU member states. (Norway is also included in the figures.)
The most striking finding is that just over one fifth – 22.7% – of those issued with first permits here in 2023 were granted permission for “employment reasons.” Almost half of permits were issued to people who claimed to have come to the state for “education reasons.”
In contrast, 35.9% of those who were granted permits in the EU and in Norway got them for purposes of employment and a mere 13.3% were given permission to stay for educational reasons. That surely raises huge questions regarding why this ought to be the case, especially given that it is clear that many people who come to Ireland from countries like Brazil are obviously working either “part time” or otherwise.
At the very least it undermines the narrative that every person from outside of the EU and EEA who lands up in Ireland is working, paying tax, and therefore looking after the rest of the population by paying pensioners and social welfare recipients.
Another fascinating statistic from the report (p21) is that 35% of the Ukrainian refugees who were being provided with Temporary Protection in March 2024 were adult males. Not only does this outnumber the total number of children who make up 25% of the total, but the number of adult males has risen steadily from just 7% in March 2022.
Which perhaps might raise other questions regarding the sort of chaps who have left their own country in time of war.