Record Numbers Of British Citizens Are Applying For Irish Passports
Since the Brexit vote, the Irish government has seen a sharp increase in the number of British citizens applying for Irish passports and it’s been reported that the number has now reached an all time high. It’s been announced that over 160,000 Irish passports were issued to those in Britain and Northern Ireland last year, whilst the number of British born Irish descendents claiming citizenship soared by 95%. Data from the Irish department of foreign affairs shows that over 779,000 passports were issued altogether in 2017, which is the highest the country has seen since records began.
So why the sudden surge in demand for Irish passports? It’s been strongly linked to the Brexit vote. Many unionists, including MP Ian Paisley Jr, have recommended that those who are entitled to one should apply as it gives them the same rights as other EU nationals post Brexit. In Northern Ireland, where everyone has a birth right to identify as British or Irish under the Good Friday agreement, there was a 20% increase in applications with over 80,000 new passports being issued. There was also a rise of 28% in Britain, rising to 81,287 applications in the same year.
Under Irish law, anyone with an Irish parent or grandparent or born in Ireland is entitled to a passport. As British law permits citizens to have dual citizenship, there’s been a huge jump in the number of foreign born Irish people living in Britain. Among them, is the former British ambassador for Ireland, Sir Ivor Roberts, who has already confirmed that he’s taken up Irish citizenship due to the forthcoming uncertainties when the UK leaves the union.
“This is the highest number of Irish passports ever issued in one year. It represents an increase of over 6% compared to 2016 (itself a record-breaking year), and an increase of over 15% since 2015,” said Simon Coveney, the minister for foreign affairs. He added “The number of applicants from Northern Ireland and Great Britain has continued to rise. Overall, almost 20% of the total number of applications received by the passport service this year was from Irish citizens in Northern Ireland or Great Britain.”
So why the sudden surge in demand for Irish passports? It’s been strongly linked to the Brexit vote. Many unionists, including MP Ian Paisley Jr, have recommended that those who are entitled to one should apply as it gives them the same rights as other EU nationals post Brexit. In Northern Ireland, where everyone has a birth right to identify as British or Irish under the Good Friday agreement, there was a 20% increase in applications with over 80,000 new passports being issued. There was also a rise of 28% in Britain, rising to 81,287 applications in the same year.
Under Irish law, anyone with an Irish parent or grandparent or born in Ireland is entitled to a passport. As British law permits citizens to have dual citizenship, there’s been a huge jump in the number of foreign born Irish people living in Britain. Among them, is the former British ambassador for Ireland, Sir Ivor Roberts, who has already confirmed that he’s taken up Irish citizenship due to the forthcoming uncertainties when the UK leaves the union.
