In 2024, UNE processed approximately 6,800 cases, an increase from around 5,700 in 2023, marking the highest number in the past five years. These figures, recorded at the turn of the year, include both appeals and requests for reversal.
Alongside the rise in processed cases, UNE also received about 520 more cases in 2024 compared to the previous year. Employment cases remained the most common, followed by asylum cases, which saw an increase of approximately 700, a significant portion of which were Dublin cases.
Among the various case types, employment, family immigration, expulsion, asylum, and Dublin cases were the most frequently processed. Work permit cases led, though in slightly lower numbers than in 2023. Family immigration cases increased by around 130, with Afghanistan being the most common country of origin.
Dublin cases saw the largest relative increase, nearly doubling from 369 in 2023 to 762 in 2024, largely due to UDI allocating extra resources to first-line processing in late 2023, leading to more cases reaching UNE. UNE overturned approximately 12 percent of all cases in 2024, down from 17 percent in 2023. Family immigration cases had the highest reversal rate at 21 percent, followed by permanent residence permits at 20 percent. The average case processing time increased from 152 days in 2023 to 183 days in 2024, with work permits experiencing the most significant rise from 124 to 228 days. UNE attributed this to both the growing number and complexity of cases.
While overall processing times increased, asylum, citizenship, and Dublin cases saw reductions in processing time, which she described as a positive development.