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Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

940 people sought asylum in Ireland last year

The numbers seeking refuge in EU countries rose 32 per cent in 2013, mainly due to the crisis in Syria.

ASYLUM APPLICATIONS IN the EU were up 32 per cent last year, according to a new report, mostly driven by the crisis in Syria.

The report from the UN refugee agency UNHCR, says 398,200 asylum claims were registered in the 28 member states of the European Union, compared to 301,000 the previous year. In Ireland, 940 people applied for asylum – the same number as in 2012 and the first time figures have not fallen since 2006.

Sophie Magennis, Head of UNHCR office in Ireland said the fact that there was no drop in numbers in Ireland this year “may indicate that greater number of people from new countries, such as Syria, are seeking asylum here”.

In Ireland, the top 10 populations of origin of asylum applicants by country in 2013 were as follows:

  1. Nigeria – 129
  2. Pakistan – 91
  3. Democratic Republic of Congo – 72
  4. Zimbabwe – 70
  5. Malawi – 55
  6. Algeria – 51
  7. Albania – 48
  8. Syrian Arab Republic – 37
  9. Afghanistan – 32
  10. Bangladesh – 29

Germany was the largest single recipient with 109,600 new asylum claims, followed by France and Sweden. Turkey, currently the biggest refugee hosting country in Europe due to the Syria crisis, also saw 44,800 asylum claims lodged in 2013, mainly from nationals of Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read: How a doctor had his asylum request rejected because someone ‘didn’t like him’>

Read: “It is misleading to call Direct Provision inadequate” – Shatter>

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148 Comments
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    Mute Gerard Carey
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:40 PM

    Lucky to be alive after getting a smack from a train. Very lucky.

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    Mute Benny Dowling
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:24 PM

    I hope he us not too seriously hurt

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    Mute Awkward Seal
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:40 PM

    In Japan the train company sues the family for damages if someone commits suicude by jumping under a train. It sounds like this guy was somewhere where he shouldn’t have been and as a result ruined the evening of thousands of people. It may be harsh but there should be consequences.

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    Mute Paul
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:36 PM

    Fools own fault, trespassing

    46
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    Mute proctor
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:39 PM

    What was he doing trespassing on the line, very lucky he wasn’t killed!

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    Mute Martin Gallagher
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:38 PM

    Are there not two train tracks on this line? Close the one the victim was on but switch the traffic to the other track to allow passengers to travel on, I’d think?

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    Mute Paul
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:41 PM

    Martain

    The traveling public are not allowed to see a dead/injured person after been hit by a train.

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    Mute James Rowan
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    Feb 1st 2016, 6:46 PM

    Id imagine it wouldn’t be too safe for the emergency workers having a train passing by so close to them either.

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    Mute Martin Gallagher
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:18 PM

    By all means James but once the clear up operation has been done, why inconvenience or endanger everyone else from getting home or on to where they need to be?
    It might sound facile but a bloke here once drove his car onto a train line to commit suicide and nearly succeeded in killing others in the resulting crash. Worth thinking about here is the traumatic impact on the train driver in seeing someone dilerbrately putting themselves in such harms way without any chance of avoidance?

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    Mute Grot Master
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    Feb 1st 2016, 8:47 PM

    Yeah, James, imagine if some commuter chose that moment to flush. Brown mist, not nice.

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    Mute dowthebow
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    Feb 1st 2016, 10:56 PM

    Even if they did that It’s still gonna slow down the line Martin

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    Mute The Pope
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:02 PM

    Lost his nerve at the last second? Hope he gets help if that’s the case.

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    Mute Marg murphy
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    Feb 2nd 2016, 12:42 AM

    Poor boy. I hope he gets the help he needs. Before people start moaning about the inconvenience, think how he must have been feeling. To think throwing yourself under a train can be the answer it would have to be a very black day indeed.

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    Mute Kieron Duffin
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:58 PM

    Sounds strange. Got hit but didn’t suffer any life threatening injuries. Surely could have been dealt with faster possibly ?

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    Mute Tom the Bomb
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    Feb 1st 2016, 9:33 PM

    Presumably there still has to be a health & safety investigation for any workplace accident involving a member of the public, plus possibly a Gárda investigation. Facts have to be ascertained with a view to seeing if similar incidents could be prevented.

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    Mute shaz
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    Feb 2nd 2016, 1:14 AM

    God help this young lad. To feel there is no way out but this is horrendous. I hope he gets the help he needs. Take care young man and remember
    H -hold
    O – on
    P – pain
    E – eases

    HOPE xxxxxxx

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    Mute John Nolan
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    Feb 1st 2016, 10:03 PM

    Was on a train to Heuston this afternoon. We got delayed in Athy for about an hour due to the incident. It could have been worse I guess.

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    Mute Barry Humphreys
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    Feb 1st 2016, 7:31 PM

    Exactly

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    Mute Sandra Valtere
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    Feb 2nd 2016, 8:48 AM

    All I will say is I’m glad he survived , it must be first ever incident where someone actually survives after that. I was stuck in delays but it wasn’t too bad especially knowing the reason why. I usually feel very bad for train drivers, if that boy would of died how would you live with yourself knowing you killed him, but all good hes alive !

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