DUBLIN, Ireland (AFP) — More people came to live in Ireland in the year to the end of April than emigrated for the first time since 2009, with thousands of Irish citizens returning to the Emerald Isle, official figures showed yesterday.

The State agency reported a 14.4 per cent increase in net immigration to 79,300, compared with 69,300 the previous year, the country’s Central Statistics Office (CSO) said.

Of this figure, 12,100 were recorded as Irish nationals. Many of them had emigrated during the economic downturn following the 2008 financial crisis that virtually bankrupted the country, leading to an international bailout.

Since then Ireland’s economy has recovered and has now recorded 15 consecutive quarters of growth.

The rise in immigration reflects the commensurate fall in unemployment. The jobless figure has fallen from 14.8 per cent in 2012 to 8.4 per cent.

Coincidentally, the CSO also published figures showing more than two million people were now employed in Ireland for the first time since the first quarter of 2009.

In a statement, business lobby group IBEC described the employment figures as “clear evidence of further strong domestic growth”, but cautioned that the information was collated prior to the Brexit vote. Ireland’s economy is closely intertwined with Britain’s.

“It will take some time before we know the full impact of the vote on the economy,” Director of Policy Fergal O’Brien said.

“Clearly some sectors, particularly those exporting to the UK, are feeling intense pressure from the fall in sterling and other Brexit-related factors,.” he added.