Refugees from Vietnam double

Many arrivals claim 'victims of trafficking'

- BY CIARA O'LOUGHLIN

TWICE as many Vietnamese nationals applied for international protection in Ireland so far this year compared to all of 2024.

This comes as there has also been a marked increase in Vietnamese asylum seekers claiming to be victims of trafficking, according to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau. Last year, 251 people from Vietnam sought asylum, which was a significant increase from the year before when only 36 people applied.

By October this year, it had surged to 520 applications, which is 107% more compared to the year before. In 2020 there were just 12 applications, 13 in 2021 and 20 in 2022.