More than a third of applications for scheme to regularise status of undocumented migrants have been approved so far

Around a half of all applications in a scheme allowing undocumented migrants to stay in Ireland came from three countries, Brazil, Pakistan, and China.

The Department of Justice said there had been more than 8,300 individual applicants – including families – for the scheme, which had so far generated more than €3.73 million in fees.

The department said that 2,835 applications have been granted with another 39 withdrawn while just 34 applications have been refused.

Applications relating to 5,307 people are yet to be determined while the figures also show that a significant majority of applications came from men, or around 64% of the total.

The highest number of applications came from citizens of Brazil from where there were 1,504 people applying to regularise their status.

There were a further 1,307 applicants from Pakistan and 1,159 from China, including Hong Kong, according to department figures.

Significant numbers of applicants also came from the Philippines (751 applicants), Nigeria (446 applicants), and India (313 applicants).

There were also 26 people from Russia applying for regularisation of their status and 77 from Ukraine, the figures show.

Thirty three applicants came from U.S. citizens, thirteen from Canada, thirteen from New Zealand, and 13 from an “unknown” country.