Figures reveal nearly 1,000 asylum seekers waiting over four years to be processed
Almost 1,000 asylum seekers have spent four years or more in the system waiting for applications to be processed, new figures reveal.
Only a fifth of asylum seeker applicants living in centres are actually resident in hotels and guesthouses, the information supplied by the Department of Justice shows.
TDs with the Public Accounts Committee received the details as part of its work on compiling a report.
Justice authorities say there are 8,560 people with an active international protection claim in Ireland. Some 4,198 of these applications have been made in 2019 up until the end of October.
There were 6,760 people living in direct provision centres. Of these, there were 1,433 asylum seekers in hotels and guesthouses.
The figures also detail the length of stay for applicants in centres. While the mean length of stay for applicants is almost 22 months, hundreds have been in centres for several years.
Almost 1,000 asylum seekers have been in direct provision centres for four years or more. There have been 528 applicants in centres for between four years and five; 118 between five years and six and 71 applicants in facilities for between six years and seven while another 116 applicants have lived in centres for seven years or more.
Justice authorities have also confirmed to PAC that the average time it takes for an application differs according to the category for those seeking asylum.
For prioritised applications, decisions are made within four to five months. Non-prioritised asylum seeker applications can take between nine to 10 months while the median time for an application is estimated to be 15.2 months at the end of October this year.
The figures come after a number of protests outside hotels and other facilities earmarked for asylum seeker centres. Politicians have also made a number of claims over asylum seekers that have triggered outrage.
