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Irish passport applicants' number surges as Brexit underway

Xinhua, April 15, 2017 Adjust font size:

An increasing number of applications for Irish passports from Northern Ireland and Britain have been reported as Brexit is underway.

Figures from the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs showed that the applications for Irish passports from the two regions have risen by 68 percent in the first three months of this year compared with the same period last year, local media said.

The department had received a record number of overall applications in 2016.

The surge came after Britain voted for Brexit last year since an Irish passport would allow its holder to continue to move and work freely within other EU member states once Britain steps out of the EU.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said the overall increase in applications was "attributable to a variety of causes including an expanding population and a significant increase in outbound travel in recent years." Endit