Surge in US nationals applying for asylum in Ireland since start of Trump's second term
Darragh Mc Donagh
There has been an unprecedented surge in the number of US nationals applying for asylum in Ireland since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term in the Oval Office, new figures have revealed.
A total of 76 Americans have sought international protection in Ireland since the start of this year, compared to 22 during the whole of 2024.
Asylum applicants are required to demonstrate a “well-founded fear of being persecuted” on specific grounds, including race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership of a particular social group.
There was also a marked increase in the number of US citizens applying for Irish passports since the beginning of last year. A total of 31,825 applications were received in 2024 – the highest number recorded since 2016, when Mr Trump won his first term in the White House.
The trend has continued this year, with a further 26,111 applications for Irish passports submitted during the first eight months of 2025, which is more than was received in the whole of 2022.
New data published by Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan in response to a parliamentary question from Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn reveals a recent spike in the number of applications for international protection among US nationals.
Some 13 applications for asylum in Ireland were made by Americans during 2022, followed by another 18 in 2023. This increased to 22 last year, when Donald Trump secured a second term in the White House.
He re-entered the Oval Office on January 20th, 2025. Since the beginning of this year, the number of international protection applications from US nationals has soared to 76 as of September 9th.
Mr O’Callaghan said it would not be appropriate to disclose the reasons cited by individuals who had sought asylum in the country.
He said it was a priority to ensure that international protection applications are processed “efficiently and effectively”, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times.
The minister said it was not possible to provide detailed statistics on how many of the applications had been granted or refused.
Applicants for international protection are required to show that their fear of being persecuted in their country of origin is based on a serious violation of human rights, which can include acts of violence.
