Vietnamese asylum figure doubles

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

- BY CIARA O'LOUGHLIN

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.

However, applications from all countries were low over these years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.