Ireland: 40% of Work Permits Granted in 1st Quarter of 2023 Were Obtained by Indian Nationals
The data show that once again, the highest number of work permits has been granted to Indian nationals, or approximately 40 per cent of them, AtoZSerwisPlus.pl reports.
From the beginning of January to the last day of March, a total of 7,264 work permits have been issued to third-country citizens, 2,894 of which to Indian nationals. 2,525 of these permits have been issued in January, and almost half of them – 1,059 – to Indian nationals.
In the first quarter of 2023, the second national group with the highest number of permits obtained is Brazil with 734, followed by the Philippines with 663 permits.
In the top ten countries of origin are also included:
- China – with 321 work permits obtained by its nationals
- South Africa – 320
- Pakistan – 292
- Nigeria – 225
- United States of America – 196
- Zimbabwe – 156
- Thailand – 116
The total number of rejected applications for this period was 494, whereas another 165 applications were withdrawn before a final decision was taken on them. The highest number of rejected applications was for Indian nationals (113), followed by Brazil (80), and the Philippines (34).
Regarding permits issued by sector during this period, the highest number was issued for jobs in Health & Social Work Activities (2,428) followed by Information & Communication Activities (1,095).
These two sectors are the worst hit in the country by the lack of employees. A report by the Institute of Public Health shows that by 2051, there will be more than 2.1 million people aged 65 and older on the island, many of whom will need extra care.
The number of those older than 85 will increase to over 400,000, with one in 20 people on the island of Ireland being over the age of 85 by midcentury.
The ageing population also means that a high number of skilled workers will be leaving the labour market, which jobs the younger generations will be unable to fill in without foreign workers.
At the same time, Ireland is amongst the European Union Member States with the lowest unemployment rates, at 4.2 per cent. Only Hungary (3.5 per cent), and the Netherlands (3.6 per cent), have a lower unemployment rate than Ireland.
Yet, even if that 4.2 per cent entered the labour market, they would not be able to meet the country’s need for workers, in particular, the need for skilled ones.
