The lengthy processing time for applications for naturalisation is primarily due to the significant increase in the volume of applications being received during the last number of years. The following table sets out the position in this regard for the last five years:
Year
|
New applications
|
Certificates issued
|
2000
|
1,004
|
125
|
2001
|
1,431
|
1,012
|
2002
|
3,574
|
1,332
|
2003
|
3,580
|
1,664
|
2004 (end of Sept)
|
3,138
|
1,117
|
There are 23 staff assigned to the citizenship section of my Department at the present time. In all, 650 staff members are employed by my Department in the provision of the 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 the area of service provisions 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.