More than 1,600 asylum seekers voluntarily left Ireland last year, according to provisional figures from the Department of Justice. That is a 72 per cent rise on 2024, when 934 people left the State by way of voluntary return.

While there was an overall increase in the number of asylum seekers voluntarily leaving Ireland in 2025, there was no marked rise from September despite the Government offering larger financial incentives for people who left.

Typically, at least 100 international protection applicants voluntarily leave the State each month. In September, 100 people left, increasing to 154 in October and 125 in November. The months with the highest numbers were May and July, when 171 and 190 people left respectively.

In September, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan announced that, for a limited time, people in the international protection process before September 28th would be offered an increased “reintegration assistance” fee if they chose to avail of voluntary return at an earlier stage.

If a person decides to voluntarily return up to or before receiving a first-instance decision on their protection application, or up to or before appealing a negative first-instance decision, they will receive €2,500 per person or a maximum of €10,000 per family unit.

In 2025, the Department of Justice had spent €262,453 on reintegration assistance payments up to the end of May. That is more than the entire spend of 2024. Figures for more recent months are not yet available.

The cost for the first five months of 2025 included €165,789 for individuals and €96,664 for family unit reintegration grants.

In 2024, the department spent €207,802 on the payments, including €171,956 for individuals and €35,846 on family grants, according to provisional figures.

Under the new rules announced in September, if a person has appealed a decision but decides to return voluntarily before the appeal ruling is issued, they will receive €1,500, up to a maximum of €6,000 per family. If they receive a final decision on their application, assistance will only increase for families to a maximum of €3,000.

The previous level of reintegration assistance offered was up to €1,200 per person or €2,000 per family.

The higher level of grants is not available to people who applied for international protection status after September 28th.

The increase in payments was introduced to incentivise leaving the State voluntarily. The goal is to reduce the costs associated with considering asylum claims and accommodating people while the process – which can take years – happens.

Figures suggest that processing an international protection application costs an average of €122,000 per person. This includes costs for accommodation, food, social protection payments, healthcare and education.

Speaking about the figures, a spokesman said the department reserves the right to “refuse financial assistance to those with a history of criminality in the State”.

The spokesman said the process of returning people who do not have permission to remain in Ireland is undertaken through voluntary returns and deportation.

“Both types of returns are essential for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of the legislation in this area,” he said.

The department’s “preferred option” is for people to leave voluntarily, he added.

Financial reintegration assistance, which can only be used once, is provided when the individual or family has departed the State.

People can only avail of voluntary return before a deportation order is issued.

“Not all participants in the voluntary return programme immediately pursue their reintegration assistance upon leaving the State and some may not pursue it at all,” the department said.

It said there can be a time lag between an individual receiving reintegration assistance and the reporting of that expenditure.

As of last month, the State was housing almost 33,000 international protection applicants in more than 300 accommodation centres.

A total of 18,651 people applied for asylum in 2024, exceeding the previous record by more than 5,000 people.

Almost 12,000 people applied for asylum in the first 11 months of 2025.