ONE FIFTH of all people living in Northern Ireland have applied for an Irish passport over the pass three years amid concerns over Brexit.
According to figures obtained by the Irish Mirror, worries over the UK’s impending departure from the European Union has sparking a doubling of passport applications from Northern Ireland.
The data reveals a 100% surge in the number of people seeking official proof of Irish citizenship in the period since the UK voted to leave on June 23rd, 2016.
Prior to the vote, applications were around 10,000 a year but, in the three years since these have spike to some 100,000.
Official figures from the Department of Foreign Affairs released to Social Democrats co-leader, Catherine Murphy, revealed 290,346 passports have been issued to Irish residents living in Northern Ireland since the day of the Brexit vote.
Further inquiries from the Irish Mirror also revealed the numbers are double those witnessed in the years before the Brexit vote.
There were only 161,428 from June 2013 to June 2016, at an average of 50,000 a year, with a noticeable surge to 37,000 in the six months leading up to the Brexit vote.
The new data follows reports in January which claimed post offices in Belfast had completely run out of Irish passport application forms amid the increased demand.
See More: Brexit, Irish Passport, Northern Ireland
