The Irish deputy prime minister Micheál Martin has claimed that the number of asylum seekers fleeing to Ireland from the UK has gradually increased over the past week. These people are crossing the Ireland border to avoid deportation to Rwanda he further claimed reported by the Daily Telegraph.

Ireland retaliated back and now wants to send back these asylum seekers to Britain but the UK authorities have also argued that they would not take back these people, reports the Guardian. The situation has escalated after the anti-migrants did a violent protest at the “Trudder House or River Lodge in the eastern town of Newtownmountkennedy” and this place has been earmarked to house asylum seekers. Ireland has also been unable to house the increasing number of asylum applicants and they are sleeping in tents on streets.

The situation escalated after the UK’s Rwanda policy for the asylum seeker. The British parliament passed the Rwanda bill during a successful session on 22 April. According to this bill, which created a bone of contention between the upper and lower houses of the British parliament, the asylum seekers from the UK will be deported to Rwanda. The prime minister first and then  Home Secretary James Cleverly have both confirmed that the deportation process will begin within 10 to 12 weeks.

Ireland wants to send back the incoming asylum seekers from the UK

In Ireland, Simon Harris, asked the justice minister, Helen McEntee to call upon a cabinet session on the current situation and to allow the return of inadmissible protection applicants to the UK. On 28 April, Simon Harris said,

“This country will not in any way, shape, or form provide a loophole for anybody else’s migration challenges. Other countries can decide how they wish to advance migration. From an Irish perspective, we intend to have a firm rules-based system where rules are in place, where rules are in force, where rules are seen to be enforced.”

UK denies receiving back asylum seekers from Ireland

The UK authorities are not willing to receive asylum seekers from the EU via Ireland until they allow the UK to send these people back to France. However, the UK is willing to work further with France to tackle illegal migrants through the English channel.

Increase in Asylum seekers numbers in Ireland

Ireland has observed a steady increase in the number of Asylum seekers reports Info-migrant. In the first three months of 2024, there have been lodged 5,163 asylum claims in the country which is about 2,000 more than the previous year for the same period. Most of the asylum claimants were from the following countries nationals:

• Bangladesh (416), 
• Pakistan (400), 
• Somalia (365),
• Afghanistan (243).

The Irish government claims almost 80% of the asylum seekers in Ireland have come from its borders to Northern Ireland.