Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 4 December 2025
116. Deputy Noel McCarthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his Department’s plans for the designation of further countries as safe countries of origin, for the purposes of international protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [68266/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI can inform the Deputy that under section 72 of the International Protection Act, I, as Minister for Justice may make an order designating a country as a safe country of origin.
A country may only be designated as a safe country of origin where satisfied it can be shown that there:
* is generally and consistently no persecution;
* no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment; and
* no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence in situations of international or internal armed conflict.
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.
I will continue to keep the list of safe countries under review.
As the Deputy will be aware, Ireland has opted in to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact , a new EU framework to manage migration and asylum for the long-term. The overall objective of the Pact is to provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure. This will be done through convergence in asylum practices across the EU.
The Asylum Procedure Regulation (Regulation 2024/1348) makes provision for the designation of safe countries of origin at European Union level. Common designation of safe countries of origin at Union level should ensure that the safe country of origin concept is applied by all Member States in a uniform manner in relation to applicants whose countries of origin are designated as safe at Union level. The Proposal does not propose to amend Article 64 of the Asylum Procedure Regulation. Therefore, the right of Member States to designate additional countries outside the common list will continue.
