Statistical information available in the citizenship section of my Department has always been based on the number of applications received, certificates issued and applications refused. It is not possible, therefore, to provide details of the level of processing, where such processing has not yet resulted either in the issuance of a certificate or in the refusal of a certificate. In the period 1997 to 2001, records were maintained in such a way which would provide statistics of the total number of applications received, the total number of applicants naturalised and the total number of applicants refused in each year. Details in this regard are contained in Table A below.
For the period 2002 to date, records were modified in such a way which would enable the above information to be available on a monthly basis. Details in this regard are contained in Tables B, C and D below. It should be noted that the numbers of certificates issued or applications refused in a given period do not necessarily refer to the applications received during that the same period.
Table A.
|
New applications
|
Certificates issued
|
Applics. refused
|
1997
|
650
|
294
|
68
|
1998
|
588
|
352
|
31
|
1999
|
739
|
416
|
79
|
2000
|
1,004
|
125
|
57
|
2001
|
1,431
|
1,012
|
8
|
2002
|
3,574
|
1,332
|
109
|
2003
|
3,580
|
1,664
|
179
|
2004 (to end Oct.)
|
3,449
|
1,227
|
544
|
Table B.
2002
|
New applications
|
Certificates issued
|
Applics. refused
|
January
|
208
|
67
|
0
|
February
|
138
|
132
|
0
|
March
|
139
|
96
|
0
|
April
|
235
|
80
|
2
|
May
|
216
|
226
|
2
|
June
|
177
|
130
|
3
|
July
|
374
|
95
|
26
|
August
|
402
|
99
|
31
|
September
|
279
|
149
|
24
|
October
|
318
|
173
|
3
|
November
|
451
|
83
|
0
|
December
|
637
|
2
|
18
|
Table C.
2003
|
New applications
|
Certificates issued
|
Applics. refused
|
January
|
271
|
90
|
29
|
February
|
256
|
179
|
4
|
March
|
321
|
178
|
60
|
April
|
312
|
238
|
35
|
May
|
283
|
177
|
1
|
June
|
319
|
174
|
0
|
July
|
351
|
114
|
1
|
August
|
236
|
89
|
4
|
September
|
354
|
142
|
7
|
October
|
298
|
90
|
0
|
November
|
304
|
122
|
18
|
December
|
275
|
71
|
20
|
Table D.
2004
|
New applications
|
Certificates issued
|
Applics. refused
|
January
|
|
|
|
February
|
326
|
155
|
49
|
March
|
380
|
144
|
137
|
April
|
155
|
107
|
20
|
May
|
515
|
82
|
20
|
June
|
413
|
115
|
9
|
July
|
388
|
146
|
43
|
August
|
266
|
23
|
57
|
September
|
361
|
183
|
9
|
October
|
311
|
110
|
192
|
The average processing time for an application for naturalisation has fluctuated between 12 to 15 months and 24 months in the period 1997 to date. It is approximately 24 months at the present time. This is primarily due to the volume of applications that have been received in last three years.
There are 20 staff assigned to the citizenship section of my Department. In all, over 650 staff members are employed by my Department in the provision of services for or in respect of non-nationals. Unfortunately, it has been the case that over 70% of those staff are engaged full time in activities associated with the actual processing of asylum claims or in the provision of support of asylum applicants. However, the major reduction in the numbers of asylum applications is now giving me an opportunity to re-focus those resources on areas of service provision for non-nationals which are under resourced at this point in time. The citizenship area is one of the areas which will benefit from that process.