Nigeria has emerged as the country with the highest number of asylum seekers in Ireland, even as the European nation records a sharp decline in overall applications.
According to Ireland’s Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, a total of 7,207 asylum applications were received between January and July 2025.
This represents a 42 percent drop from the 12,236 applications lodged within the same period in 2024.
Despite the reduction, Nigerians accounted for the highest number of applications — 1,083, ahead of Pakistan (945), Somalia (933), Afghanistan (767), and Georgia (462).
The report, released in August, further showed that 1,164 applications were filed in July 2025 alone, compared to 1,735 in July 2024.
Officials said the slowdown reflects a downward trend in new claims, but Nigeria’s dominance on the list underscores the growing desperation of citizens seeking refuge abroad.
The department also revealed that the number of pending applications before the International Protection Office (IPO) has dropped to 18,323 as of July, from 23,863 recorded in September 2024. In addition, more cases are now being concluded, with 1,755 closed in July 2025 compared to 1,294 in July 2024.
While Ireland is witnessing fewer arrivals, the United Kingdom continues to grapple with a surge. Nearly 89,000 asylum applications were lodged in the UK in the year ending June 2025, with over 224,000 cases still awaiting decisions or appeals.
Analysts say the situation reflects worsening socio-economic conditions in countries like Nigeria, where insecurity, unemployment, and governance failures continue to push citizens into seeking refuge in Europe.
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