Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 26 February 2026
428. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the first instance and appeal recognition rates for international protection applications from Georgia, Brazil, and India for each month in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15796/26]
View answer429. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the first instance and appeal recognition rates for all international protection applications from designated safe country applicants for each month in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15797/26]
View answer430. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the first instance recognition rates for all international protection applications in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15798/26]
View answer431. Deputy Gary Gannon asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the appeal recognition rates for all international protection applications in 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15799/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 428, 429, 430 and 431 together.
There has been a significant increase in investment into the international protection system which, combined with digitisation and process re-engineering, has facilitated a major increase in processing capacity.
In 2025, the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered over 20,200 first decisions compared to approximately 14,100 in 2024: a 44% increase. 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.
All applications for international protection are considered on an individual basis. As a result, refusal and grant rates can increase and decrease without a clear trend, depending on the applications that are under consideration at any particular time.
The table below shows all international protection first instance decisions made in 2025 broken down by those granted either Refugee Status (RS), Subsidiary Protection (SP) or Permission to Remain (PTR) and those refused.
|
First instance decisions: all applicants |
2025 |
|
|
|
|
Granted (RS, SP, PTR) |
3,737 18.61% |
|
Refused / withdrew / inadmissible/ Dormant |
16,504 81.39% |
I can inform the Deputy that under section 72 of the International Protection Act, I, as Minister may make an order designating a country as a safe country of origin.
This designation means it can be shown that there is generally no persecution, torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, or threat of violence from an armed conflict in that country. This assessment is based on a range of sources of information, including from other EU Member States, the European Union Agency for Asylum (EUAA), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Council of Europe, and other international organisations as appropriate.
Ireland currently has fifteen countries designated as safe countries of origin: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Georgia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Serbia, South Africa, Botswana, Algeria, Brazil, Egypt, India, Malawi and Morocco.
The table below shows first instance recognition rates for all international protection applications from designated safe country applicants for 2025.
|
First instance decisions: safe country applicants |
2025 |
|
Granted (RS, SP, PTR) |
208 8.18% |
|
Refused / withdrew / inadmissible/ Dormant |
2,333 91.81% |
All applicants refused international protection have a right to appeal to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal who must then consider if the earlier International Protection Office determinations on refugee status and subsidiary protection should be affirmed or set aside.
The table below shows the decisions made by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in 2025.
|
Year |
Decision |
|
Total |
Decision % |
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside |
Refused/Affirmed |
|
Granted/Set Aside |
Refused/Affirmed |
|
2025 |
1,488 |
4,016 |
5,504 |
27.00% |
73.00% |
The table below shows the decisions issued for Safe Countries by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal in 2025.
|
# |
Decision |
|
Grand Total |
Decision% |
|
Grand Total |
|
|
Granted/Set Aside |
Refused/Affirmed |
|
Granted/Set Aside |
Refused/Affirmed |
|
|
Grand Total |
671 |
2,737 |
3,408 |
20% |
80% |
100% |
Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
Data in relation to international protection decisions based on nationality is not provided by my Department.
My Department 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 new International Protection Bill 2026 will give effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. Enactment of the Bill and commencement of the Act is required by 12 June 2026.
