Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 November 2025
226. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of international protection applicants who have come from the UK before applying for international protection in Ireland for each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022,2023, 2024 and to date 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66351/25]
View answer227. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of inadmissible international protection decisions made under Section 21 of the International Protection Bill 2015 made by the IPO and IPAT for international protection applicants, by reason of having come from the UK for each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66352/25]
View answer228. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the average processing time for inadmissible international protection decisions made under section 21 of the International Protection Bill 2015 by both the IPO and IPAT for applicants by reason of having come from the UK for each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66353/25]
View answer229. Deputy Carol Nolan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of inadmissible international protection decisions made under section 21 of the International Protection Bill 2015, by reason of having come from the UK that have “timed out” because the Department did not transfer or act on the decision within the time frame for removal permitted by law for each of the years 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [66354/25]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 226, 227, 228 and 229 together.
My Department is taking all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times.
There are a number of circumstances where a person might apply at the International Protection Office (IPO) without first applying at a port of entry. They may enter at an airport with valid documentation for example but choose not to apply at that time. Or they may apply having been in the State for a period previously, for example on foot of a different permission to remain.
My Department’s assessment, based on the experience of staff and others working in the field, and based on the material gathered at interviews, is that in a significant proportion of cases, those applying for the first time in the IPO have entered over the land border. Details on the route travelled to Ireland are recorded as part of the applicants file at the IPO, but are not stored in a manner which allows detailed data to be extracted in the manner sought by the Deputy.
The below table provides a yearly breakdown of IP applications and the location the claim was made.
|
Place of Application |
IPO |
% |
Airports |
% |
Ports |
% |
Other |
% |
Total |
|
2019 |
2,278 |
47.63% |
2,385 |
49.86% |
9 |
0.19% |
111 |
2.32% |
4,783 |
|
2020 |
1,239 |
79.17% |
284 |
18.15% |
4 |
0.26% |
38 |
2.43% |
1,565 |
|
2021 |
2,102 |
79.41% |
512 |
19.34% |
9 |
0.34% |
24 |
0.91% |
2,647 |
|
2022 |
8,791 |
64.44% |
4,796 |
35.16% |
35 |
0.26% |
20 |
0.15% |
13,642 |
|
2023 |
10,378 |
78.21% |
2859 |
21.54% |
5 |
0.04% |
28 |
0.21% |
13,270 |
|
2024 |
16,626 |
89.60% |
1,870 |
10.08% |
12 |
0.06% |
47 |
0.25% |
18,555 |
|
2025* |
10,176 |
87.58% |
1,368 |
11.77% |
32 |
0.27% |
43 |
0.37% |
11,619 |
*To 21st November 2025.
Ireland and the United Kingdom (UK) share a long history and common interest in the effective operation of the Common Travel Area (CTA) and work together to prevent any abuses of the CTA.
There is also significant operational cooperation between the Gardaí, UK Border Force, UK policing services and the Police Service of Northern Ireland in relation to both immigration and criminal matters. This strong practical engagement and cooperation serves the mutual interests of both Ireland and the UK, and will continue.
In relation to the inadmissibility process, the International Protection Act 2015, Section 21(2)(a) provides that an application for international protection is inadmissible where one or more of the following circumstances applies in relation to the person who is the subject of the application:
• Another member State has granted refugee status or subsidiary protection status to the person;
• A country other than a Member State is, in accordance with Section 21(15) of the 2015 Act, a first country of asylum for the person;
• The person arrived in the State from a safe third country that is, in accordance with Subsection 17, a safe country for the person.
Prior to the UK leaving the EU, returns to the UK were governed under the EU Regulations. The UK was the primary destination country for people transferred from Ireland under these Regulations. In 2019 of the 35 people transferred, 33 were sent to the UK, in 2020 of the 8 people transferred, 7 were to the UK.
Following the withdrawal of the UK, a new arrangement for reciprocal returns of international protection applicants between Ireland and the UK was agreed. However a High Court judgment subsequently identified legal issues with the process concerning the designation in Irish law of safe third countries.
The issues raised by the judgment were addressed by the Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2024 and, following an analysis required as under the Act, I designated the UK as a safe third country for returns under S.I. No. 73/2025 - International Protection Act 2015 (Safe Third Country) Order 2025 with effect from 11 March 2025.
Arrangements for re-operationalising the agreement, on foot of the re- designation of the UK as a safe third country, are being put in place in consultation with the UK.
As no return orders were issued during the Covid pandemic and due to the litigation challenges outlined above, only one return order has been signed for a UK inadmissible applicant during this recent period.
