Asylum

Algeria and Botswana will be designated as safe countries of origin for the purpose of asylum claims from tomorrow, justice minister Helen McEntee has announced. While people from safe countries are still entitled to apply for international protection and have their application considered thoroughly

The Irish Refugee Council has published a new FAQ document aimed at tackling misinformation about the asylum process in Ireland. The 30-page document explains the international protection procedure and process, along with answers to frequently asked questions and queries related to issues like the r

Women can claim asylum in EU countries on the basis they face gender-based violence in their country of origin, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled. The court this week handed down judgment in a case referred by a Bulgarian court concerning a Kurdish woman who said she feared

The High Court has granted an order of certiorari in respect of an IPAT decision refusing refugee status and subsidiary protection to a citizen of Sierra Leone who claimed that he would likely be imprisoned, tortured and killed if returned to his home country. Delivering judgment for the High Court,

The Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has been granted leave to bring a judicial review against the government over its failure to provide accommodation to asylum seekers arriving in Ireland. The proceedings before the High Court have been brought by the Commission in its own name, invoking

Ireland could decide to opt-into new EU asylum and migration rules early next year, justice minister Helen McEntee has said. Mrs McEntee yesterday welcomed news that political agreement had been reached between the European Parliament and Council on the remaining measures of the Asylum and Migration

Ukrainian refugees arriving in Ireland from early next year will receive drastically less in social welfare payments and have reduced access to State accommodation, the government has announced. The changes, which will not affect those currently in State accommodation, will bring Ireland's treatment

Immediate action is necessary to prevent street homelessness of asylum seekers arriving in Ireland, the government has been told. The Irish Refugee Council (IRC) has sent a paper to ministers following news early this week that the government would not be able to accommodation some new international

Refugee legal reforms in the UK will have a disproportionate impact on sexually diverse claimants, academics have warned. Researchers have said the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 is a missed opportunity to resolve other issues about how to make clear assessments about people’s sexual backgro

The UN Refugee Agency’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection, Gillian Triggs, has called for bold steps to protect those forced to flee their homes while speaking at the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission’s annual human rights lecture. The event, in partnership with the Bar o

Urgent action must be taken to protect LGBT+ asylum seekers living in direct provision, a new report has recommended. Ministers commissioned LGBT Ireland last September to produce a report on how to ensure that LGBT+ residents in international protection accommodation are supported and treated sensi

The number of pending asylum decisions in the UK has reached an unprecedented 175,457 as of June 2023 — a 44 per cent increase from the 122,213 reported in June 2022. The new figure from the Home Office surpasses the previous peak in 1999 during Tony Blair's tenure as prime minister when 125,1

New UK legislation restricting the right to claim asylum sets a "worrying precedent" which could undermine asylum rights around the world, the UN has warned. The Illegal Migration Bill was given final approval in Parliament on Monday night in spite of sustained criticism from international bodies an

The suspension of visa-free travel to Ireland for refugees has been extended by ministers for a further 12 months. The government last year suspended the operation of a Council of Europe agreement on the abolition of visas for refugees on a "temporary" basis — a decision described as "shameful

An "ambitious" target to make 1,000 initial asylum decisions per month by next spring is at the centre of new government plans to modernise Ireland's international protection system. The International Protection Modernisation Programme 2023–2024, published by justice minister Helen McEntee yes