Asylum

The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) has more than tripled its output of decisions in two years, according to its latest annual report. Chairperson Hilkka Becker said last year "could be considered the tribunal’s first year of reaching full operational capacity with the tribuna

The State is required by law to provide single or household occupancy accommodation to ensure social distancing and to limit the spread of COVID-19, according to legal advice obtained by the Irish Refugee Council (IRC). The legal opinion by Michael Lynn SC and Cillian Bracken BL states that positive

The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted how "unsuitable and unsustainable" accommodation for asylum seekers in Ireland is, the Ombudsman has said. In his annual commentary on the Direct Provision system, Ombudsman Peter Tyndall repeated concerns over the suitability of accommodation, with three or

Poland, Hungary and Czechia broke EU law by refusing to comply with mandatory quotas for relocating asylum seekers, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled. The three EU member states can rely neither on their responsibilities concerning the maintenance of law and order and the s

Lawyers and legal academics have joined hundreds of immigration and health experts in calling on the Government to take further action to protect asylum seekers during the pandemic. More than 850 professionals have signed an open letter appealing to ministers to relocate international protection app

The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) has postponed all hearings currently scheduled up to and including 19 April 2020. Chairperson Hilkka Becker said the Tribunal was taking further measures to protect "the health and safety of appellants, tribunal staff and members and our stakehold

The Supreme Court is hearing an appeal from two people who came to Ireland as refugees but subsequently naturalised as Irish citizens and were subsequently denied access to the family reunification scheme. Ms Justice Marie Baker, sitting in the Court of Appeal, ruled against 'MAM' and 'KN' last May.

An asylum seeker suffered indirect discrimination when he was refused a learner driver license, the Workplace Relations Commission has ruled. An adjudicator ordered €2,500 in compensation to be paid to the man, who was legally represented by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC

The system of Direct Provision accommodation for asylum seekers is "not fit for purpose" and the "flawed" international protection process needs fundamental reform, the Oireachtas justice committee has said. The committee's report, informed by committee hearings in May and June, has been welcomed by

Stalled legislation on family reunification should be allowed to move forward in order for Ireland to meet its international obligations, a senator has said. The International Protection (Family Reunification) (Amendment) Bill 2017 has passed all stages in the Seanad and second stage in the Dá

Over 20 years of documents relating to the Direct Provision system have been published for the first time by a legal academic as part of a new project exploring how the system emerged and developed. Dr Liam Thornton, a lecturer at UCD Sutherland School of Law, was awarded UCD Seed Funding for his "E

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from the State over the definition of "child" in the International Protection Act 2015. Mr Justice Max Barrett ruled in May 2018 that the legal guardian of a child who is not their biological or adopted child is eligible for family unification.

The implications of Brexit for asylum policy and for vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers in Europe have been highlighted in a new Lords committee report. The most significant implication of UK withdrawal from the EU’s Dublin System – which determines responsibility for asylum applicat

Nearly 2,000 asylum seekers in Ireland were granted permission to work last year under a new system introduced after a landmark Supreme Court ruling. The new regime for asylum seekers to access the labour market was introduced last June when the absolute prohibition on employment was ruled unconstit

The Ombudsman, Peter Tyndall, has called for his remit to be extended to include how asylum applications are assessed by the Minister for Justice. Mr Tyndall appeared before the Oireachtas joint committee on justice and equality this morning to discuss the Direct Provision system.