Number of residence permits for non-Irish grew by 150% in year

According to statistics published on Wednesday, a total of 85,793 residence permits were issued by the Irish state in 2022. 

That was in addition to those who came to the country last year claiming refugee status or protection.

A total of 3.4 million of such permits were issued within the EU as whole, with Ireland having the fifth highest number in absolute terms, behind Poland, Spain, Portugal and Sweden.

That figure shows a huge increase in the number of first-time residence permits issued here since 2021, when according to a Eurostat report of September 2022 there were 34,935 first-time permits issued.

The Irish state also issued a very high number of residency visas in comparison to population. In per capita terms, almost 170 residency permits were issued per capita, placing Ireland in fourth place behind Malta, Cyprus and Poland.

A residence permit costs €300 but there are a whole range of exemptions for people including those who have been granted refugee status, subsidiary protection, international protection or are married to someone who has residency. There are regular demands from TDs and migrancy NGOs for the fee to be reduced or discarded.

According to the EU, a total of 59,278 were issued here in 2019, at which point there were 169,297 valid permits held by non-nationals living within the state. In July it was reported that the state had taken in €312 million from the issuing of IRP cards in the previous decade.  That would equate to a total of more than one million cards being issued.

Figures provided by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to a Dáil question from Sinn Féin TD Sorcha Clarke in June indicate that the has been a significant increase in the total number of issues including both the issuing of new residence permits, as indicated by the EU wide statistics and the overall figure including successful renewals.

It is noteworthy too that the year on year figure between the first five months of 2023 compared to the period between January and the end of May 2022 show a notable increase from   78,519 to 123,853 an increase of almost 58% on the same period. The table below shows the overall upward trend which in common with all the other metrics measuring immigration only briefly dipped during the Covid panic in 2020.

It is noteworthy too that the year on year figure between the first five months of 2023 compared to the period between January and the end of May 2022 show a notable increase from   78,519 to 123,853 an increase of almost 58% on the same period. The table below shows the overall upward trend which in common with all the other metrics measuring immigration only briefly dipped during the Covid panic in 2020.

ANNUAL REPORT ON MIGRATION AND ASYLUM 2021: Ireland (esri.ie)

It should also be noted that the figures for 2023 will not only greatly increase over the rest of the year, but that the number of persons who will be issued with a residence permit will most likely increase by tens of thousand more Ukrainians in Temporary Protection who, as we reported yesterday, have this week been invited by the Government to apply for an Irish Residence Permit.