New data published on 29 December by the European Migration Network (EMN) Ireland reveal that total long-term immigration to the State fell by 16 % in the year to April 2025. The headline decline is largely attributed to a sharp reduction in arrivals from war-torn Ukraine as Europe shifts from emergency to longer-term support mechanisms. Only 9,558 Ukrainian nationals were issued Personal Public Service Numbers (PPSNs) in 2024, down from more than 70,000 in 2022.
Paradoxically, first-instance applications for international protection surged by 40 % in 2024, with Nigeria, Jordan and Pakistan topping the list of origin countries. The Department of Justice insists the trend has since reversed, citing a 40 % drop in asylum registrations over the opening eleven months of 2025, but analysts caution that processing backlogs and accommodation shortages remain acute.
Against this backdrop, employers and individual travellers seeking to navigate Ireland’s evolving visa landscape can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The platform offers up-to-date guidance on work permits, business visas and other document services, and its dedicated Ireland page (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) lets users check requirements, track applications and access expert support—helping HR teams stay compliant while easing assignee onboarding.
![EMN report shows overall immigration to Ireland down 16 %, but 2024 asylum claims up 40 %]()
For employers, the figures offer mixed signals. Fewer humanitarian arrivals reduce pressure on private-rented housing stock favoured by assignees, yet the spike in protection claims has stoked political debate on border controls just as companies lobby for more flexible employment-permit quotas. HR leaders planning 2026 staffing should assume tighter public scrutiny of any large-scale non-EU hiring programmes.
The data may also influence the forthcoming review of Stamp 4 support letters for Critical Skills Employment Permit holders. With the government eager to demonstrate an evidence-based approach, officials could argue that lower net migration creates room to streamline work-visa pathways without reigniting housing-supply fears.
Global-mobility teams are advised to maintain clear communication with relocating staff about Ireland’s multipronged immigration system, distinguishing between asylum, temporary protection and economic-migration routes to pre-empt confusion amplified by media headlines.
Paradoxically, first-instance applications for international protection surged by 40 % in 2024, with Nigeria, Jordan and Pakistan topping the list of origin countries. The Department of Justice insists the trend has since reversed, citing a 40 % drop in asylum registrations over the opening eleven months of 2025, but analysts caution that processing backlogs and accommodation shortages remain acute.
Against this backdrop, employers and individual travellers seeking to navigate Ireland’s evolving visa landscape can streamline the process through VisaHQ. The platform offers up-to-date guidance on work permits, business visas and other document services, and its dedicated Ireland page (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) lets users check requirements, track applications and access expert support—helping HR teams stay compliant while easing assignee onboarding.
For employers, the figures offer mixed signals. Fewer humanitarian arrivals reduce pressure on private-rented housing stock favoured by assignees, yet the spike in protection claims has stoked political debate on border controls just as companies lobby for more flexible employment-permit quotas. HR leaders planning 2026 staffing should assume tighter public scrutiny of any large-scale non-EU hiring programmes.
The data may also influence the forthcoming review of Stamp 4 support letters for Critical Skills Employment Permit holders. With the government eager to demonstrate an evidence-based approach, officials could argue that lower net migration creates room to streamline work-visa pathways without reigniting housing-supply fears.
Global-mobility teams are advised to maintain clear communication with relocating staff about Ireland’s multipronged immigration system, distinguishing between asylum, temporary protection and economic-migration routes to pre-empt confusion amplified by media headlines.
