Ireland’s inward migration landscape appears to be shifting rapidly. The European Migration Network (EMN) Ireland annual review, released on 15 December 2025, reports that overall immigration for the year to April 2025 dropped by 16 percent. Analysts attribute much of the decline to a sharp slowdown in arrivals from Ukraine as the war there enters a more protracted phase. Only 9,558 Personal Public Service (PPS) numbers were issued to Ukrainian nationals in 2024 compared with more than 111,000 between February 2022 and December 2024.
Paradoxically, applications for International Protection (asylum) rose 40 percent in 2024, driven by arrivals from Nigeria, Jordan and Pakistan. That increase placed new pressure on Ireland’s reception capacity and legal-aid resources. However, the Department of Justice now says protection applications have fallen 40 percent so far in 2025, reflecting tougher documentation checks at borders and higher carrier fines for transporting passengers without valid papers.
![Immigration to Ireland Falls 16% While Asylum Applications Surge, EMN Review Shows]()
For anyone trying to navigate Ireland’s evolving visa and residence-permit rules—whether an individual traveller, a relocating employee or an HR team—VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers real-time requirements, document checklists and filing support, helping applicants avoid common errors and secure the right permissions more quickly.
For employers that rely on non-EU talent, the data hold mixed implications. Fewer overall arrivals could ease housing and infrastructure pressures, but the backlog of protection cases (almost 16,000 appeals pending at end-September) means processing resources remain stretched, indirectly slowing some employment-permit renewals. Businesses are advised to file work-permit applications early, monitor accommodation availability for assignees, and expect continued political scrutiny of migration numbers in the run-up to Ireland’s 2026 general election.
The figures are also likely to energise the Government’s new roadmap on employment-permit salary thresholds, which gradually raises wage floors through 2030. Policymakers argue that a steadier flow of economic migrants on higher salaries will better support integration and labour-market needs while maintaining public confidence in the migration system. Multinationals should budget for higher payroll costs and revisit eligibility checks for junior transferees and graduate hires.
Paradoxically, applications for International Protection (asylum) rose 40 percent in 2024, driven by arrivals from Nigeria, Jordan and Pakistan. That increase placed new pressure on Ireland’s reception capacity and legal-aid resources. However, the Department of Justice now says protection applications have fallen 40 percent so far in 2025, reflecting tougher documentation checks at borders and higher carrier fines for transporting passengers without valid papers.
For anyone trying to navigate Ireland’s evolving visa and residence-permit rules—whether an individual traveller, a relocating employee or an HR team—VisaHQ can streamline the process. Its online portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers real-time requirements, document checklists and filing support, helping applicants avoid common errors and secure the right permissions more quickly.
For employers that rely on non-EU talent, the data hold mixed implications. Fewer overall arrivals could ease housing and infrastructure pressures, but the backlog of protection cases (almost 16,000 appeals pending at end-September) means processing resources remain stretched, indirectly slowing some employment-permit renewals. Businesses are advised to file work-permit applications early, monitor accommodation availability for assignees, and expect continued political scrutiny of migration numbers in the run-up to Ireland’s 2026 general election.
The figures are also likely to energise the Government’s new roadmap on employment-permit salary thresholds, which gradually raises wage floors through 2030. Policymakers argue that a steadier flow of economic migrants on higher salaries will better support integration and labour-market needs while maintaining public confidence in the migration system. Multinationals should budget for higher payroll costs and revisit eligibility checks for junior transferees and graduate hires.
