Welcome to the third or fourth episode of ridiculous headlines in Sunday Times Irish edition. Yesterday, while coping in the heat, I read, “How spike in deportations led to massive drop in asylum cases. Faster processing and stricter enforcement are credited with a sharp fall in new claims and an increase in removals.” Someone at the Sunday Times really likes the Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan to be running that.
Massive? Do go on. “Jim O’Callaghan, the justice minister, will present new figures to a cabinet committee on immigration tomorrow showing 43 per cent fewer migrants have sought asylum in the first six months of this year compared with the same period in 2024.
The number of people deported after failing to secure international protection has been steadily increasing over the past number of years.”
43% sounds mighty big. Tell me more about these deportation numbers. Well, “in 2023, when Helen McEntee was justice minister, 80 people were deported and 156 people had to leave the following year. So far this year, 198 people have been deported, with the majority being flown to their country of origin on chartered flights accompanied by gardai.”
So in 2023 – 80 people were deported from Ireland who had no right to be here.
In 2024 – 156 people had to leave.
In 2025 – this year a whopping 198 people have been deported, and it’s ONLY JULY. Christ almighty, and extra 42 people from 2024. Forty – two, that is indeed SPIKE.
So there are, over the three years from Jan 2023 when we were taking down the wretched Christmas tree until the heatwave of early July 2025, a full 434 who had previously arrived were deported. That’s real progress right there.
But we have to have something to compare it to, Laura. Give me the full picture, I hear you ask. Well pull up a deck chair, dear reader, and finish off that ice – cream. Are you ready?
The Sunday Times: “Last year 18,555 people came here seeking international protection, after more than 13,000 applied for asylum in each of the two previous years.” For clarity.
2024 – 18,555 came here from lands afar claiming international protection in Ireland.
2023 – 13,000 came here to claim international protection in Ireland.
2022 – also 13,000 came which seems a bit off to me.
So in total, from 2022 until 2024 (we do not have arrivals for 2025) there are 44,555 people here who are applying to stay in Ireland for ‘international protection.’ Protection from what we don’t know. Will the Irish voter get some protection from this mad asylum policy? Unlikely.
Now, the final figure. 44555 arrivals – 434 deportations, still leaves 44,121 people here applying for asylum from 2022. And people said that A2 in honours maths would be of no use to me once I went to university for the old law degree.
The other important figures were that: “There are 33,822 pending international protection applications. About 72 per cent of all applicants appeal against first instance refusal. The decision-making capacity of Ipat is 4,750 appeals for this year. However, the tribunal expects about 17,000 appeals in 2025.”
Does that mean about 10,000 applicants were granted leave to remain? Remember only 434 people have been deported in the last 3 years so that means there are about 10,000 people either unaccounted for or were all granted international protection and I assume moved into social housing.
Clearly, 10,000 people were granted leave to remain does not make such a snazzy headline. Only 434 IPAS applicants have been deported since 2023. But then I don’t write the headlines for the Sunday Times. Someone who really loves Minister Jim O’Callaghan does.
I could go on. It could be worse though. Just count yourself lucky that we don’t live near Calais. Remember, 38,000 people arrived in the UK from small boats in 2024 and 2025 promises to be a record year. “In contrast, the Department of Justice said there had been no “small boat” arrivals in Ireland over the past five years. Marine experts say this is due to the much longer distance from France to Ireland and the rougher seas. The shortest direct sea route from France is about 600km, while the Dover to Calais route is only about 61km.”
The genius of geography I tell you. Still, we do have the non – border, land border with the UK, which could prove an easy enough route if you are a small boat traveller and do not like conditions in London. We can only hope the illegal immigrants do not figure that out any time soon.