I am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust, and rules based, and that our borders are protected.
The number of International Protection applications rose between 2022 and 2024, reaching 18,500 in 2024. In 2025, application numbers reduced by approximately a third.
There has been a significantly increased investment into the international protection system to improve efficiencies and throughput as well as enhancing the application, interview and decision-making process for applicants.
In 2025, the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 20,200 first decisions compared to approximately 14,100 in 2024: a 44% increase. While the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) more than doubled the number of appeals closed from 3,100 in 2024 to nearly 6,300 in 2025.
My Department also continues to focus on preparing for the EU Migration and Asylum Pact in advance of June 2026. The Pact will provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be achieved through convergence in asylum practices across the EU including standardised processing times for decisions: six months for a standard procedure, three months for accelerated and border procedures and two months for processing applicants who have applied for protection elsewhere in Europe.
The General Scheme of a new International Protection Bill to give effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact was approved by Government on 29 April 2025. The Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration conducted pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme. The Bill was published last week, enactment of the Bill and commencement of the Act is required by 12 June 2026.
The tables requested by the deputy are detailed below.
The table below details the nationalities of International Protection applicants in 2025.
|
Somalia
|
2,021
|
|
Nigeria
|
1,940
|
|
Pakistan
|
1,680
|
|
Afghanistan
|
1,290
|
|
Georgia
|
925
|
|
Viet Nam
|
679
|
|
Bangladesh
|
662
|
|
Ukraine
|
312
|
|
Zimbabwe
|
224
|
|
Sudan
|
202
|
|
Brazil
|
200
|
|
Albania
|
190
|
|
Palestine
|
173
|
|
India
|
167
|
|
Egypt
|
137
|
|
Algeria
|
136
|
|
China
|
104
|
|
Eswatini
|
99
|
|
Iraq
|
99
|
|
United States Of America
|
94
|
|
El Salvador
|
93
|
|
Jordan
|
89
|
|
Democratic Republic of The Congo
|
86
|
|
South Africa
|
73
|
|
Syrian Arab Republic
|
71
|
|
Nicaragua
|
65
|
|
Ghana
|
63
|
|
Iran
|
63
|
|
Sierra Leone
|
63
|
|
Cameroon
|
61
|
|
Kenya
|
58
|
|
Malawi
|
58
|
|
Botswana
|
57
|
|
Ethiopia
|
54
|
|
Morocco
|
54
|
|
Eritrea
|
46
|
|
Angola
|
42
|
|
Bolivia
|
41
|
|
Yemen
|
38
|
|
Myanmar
|
37
|
|
Nepal
|
33
|
|
Sri Lanka
|
32
|
|
Mexico
|
31
|
|
Kuwait
|
29
|
|
Turkey
|
28
|
|
Guatemala
|
23
|
|
Liberia
|
22
|
|
Guinea
|
21
|
|
Russian Federation
|
21
|
|
Stateless
|
21
|
|
Venezuela
|
20
|
|
Togo
|
19
|
|
Mauritius
|
18
|
|
Uganda
|
15
|
|
Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
|
14
|
|
Malaysia
|
14
|
|
Tunisia
|
14
|
|
Tanzania
|
13
|
|
Mongolia
|
12
|
|
Gambia
|
9
|
|
Lesotho
|
9
|
|
Namibia
|
9
|
|
Philippines
|
9
|
|
Republic of The Congo
|
9
|
|
United Kingdom
|
9
|
|
Zambia
|
9
|
|
Argentina
|
7
|
|
Costa Rica
|
7
|
|
Israel
|
7
|
|
Mauritania
|
7
|
|
Colombia
|
6
|
|
Kosovo
|
6
|
|
Lebanon
|
6
|
|
Tajikistan
|
6
|
|
Australia
|
5
|
|
Azerbaijan
|
5
|
|
Bahrain
|
5
|
|
Belarus
|
5
|
|
Benin
|
5
|
|
Burkina Faso
|
5
|
|
Burundi
|
5
|
|
Cambodia
|
5
|
|
Canada
|
5
|
|
Chad
|
5
|
|
Chile
|
5
|
|
Cote D'Ivoire
|
5
|
|
Cuba
|
5
|
|
Djibouti
|
5
|
|
Dominica
|
5
|
|
Dominican Republic
|
5
|
|
Finland
|
5
|
|
Grenada
|
5
|
|
Guyana
|
5
|
|
Honduras
|
5
|
|
Indonesia
|
5
|
|
Jamaica
|
5
|
|
Mali
|
5
|
|
Mozambique
|
5
|
|
New Zealand
|
5
|
|
Niger
|
5
|
|
North Korea
|
5
|
|
Oman
|
5
|
|
Panama
|
5
|
|
Paraguay
|
5
|
|
Rwanda
|
5
|
|
Saudi Arabia
|
5
|
|
Senegal
|
5
|
|
Seychelles
|
5
|
|
South Korea
|
5
|
|
South Sudan
|
5
|
|
Swaziland
|
5
|
|
Trinidad And Tobago
|
5
|
|
Uruguay
|
5
|
|
Uzbekistan
|
5
|
|
Total
|
13,160
|
*The Department does not generally release numbers where there are less than 5 in individuals may be identifiable by releasing such information.
The table below details the location where applicants made an application for international protection.
|
Place of Application
|
IPO
|
%
|
Airports
|
%
|
Ports
|
%
|
Other
|
%
|
Total
|
|
2025
|
11,574
|
87.97%
|
1,509
|
11.46%
|
32
|
0.24%
|
45
|
0.34%
|
13,160
|
The table below details IPO First Instance Decisions made in 2025.
|
First Instance Decision 2025
|
|
|
|
Granted (Refugee Status, Subsidiary Protection, Permission To Remain)
|
3,737
|
18.61%
|
|
Refused (Refugee Status, Subsidiary Protection and Permission To Remain, or Withdrew/ deemed inadmissible)
|
16,343
|
81.39%
|
Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
Please note a decision made in 2025 may relate to an application made in an earlier year.
