The latest graph from the International Protection Accommodation Services (IPAS) is a stark representation of the huge spike over the past 18 months in the number of migrants claiming asylum being housed in Ireland.
The numbers do not include the tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have also been accommodated in Ireland.
Almost 22,000 people who have claimed asylum here are now being housed by the IPAS – a jump of more than 14,000 since October 2021.
The sharp rise seemed to have begun after Minister Roderic O’Gorman tweeted out plans (in proposals available in Albanian, Arabic, Somali, Urdu and Georgian as well as English) to ensure that applicants knew that housing – own door accommodation – was promised within four months, and that medical cards and other services would be made available.
In December 2020, Minister Helen McEntee announced a plan for an amnesty of sorts which would give residency permits to around 17,000 illegal immigrants in “the largest regularisation scheme in the state’s history.”
The report also shows that for the week ending 7 July 2023, almost 50% of arrivals claiming asylum were single males, while almost 15% were single females, and almost 18% were children.
Breaking down occupancy by accommodation type, the report said that of 214 centres, 161 were classed as Emergency Accommodation while 49 were IPAS centres.
In addition to City West and the National Reception Centre there were two temporary tented accommodation centres listed.
IPAS also provides an occupancy breakdown by nationality, and the July numbers show that almost one in six of those occupying accommodation while claiming asylum are from Georgia, a country which is not experiencing war, while another 5,400 persons are from Nigeria and Algeria which are not war torn countries.
Protests have been held against the placement of migrant centres in mostly working-class areas or rural towns, such as Ballymun in Dublin and Inch in Co Clare.
Locals say they have not been consulted, and point to figures showing that only 6 applicants are being housed in Ballsbridge while 478 have been accommodated in East Wall.
There was dismay amongst parents and students in Sligo last month after it became known that some 1,000 student beds may be taken out of the system to house asylum claimants.