Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 19 February 2026
450. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of final negative international protection decisions issued in each of the years 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; the number of deportation orders signed in each year; and the number executed; and whether additional resources have been allocated to enforcement capacity in 2026. [13865/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust, and rules based, and that our borders are protected. The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are also an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of our legislation in this area.
The number of International Protection applications have been rising over the past number of years, 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. 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 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.
Table 1 below provides a yearly breakdown of IP applications made from 2022 to 2025.
Table 1
|
Year of Application |
Total |
|
2022 |
13,643 |
|
2023 |
13,271 |
|
2024 |
18,553 |
|
2025 |
13,160 |
Table 2 below shows all international protection first instance decisions made from 2022 to 2025 broken down by those granted either Refugee Status (RS), Subsidiary Protection (SP) or Permission to Remain (PTR) and those refused. Please note that there is not a direct correlation between the year an application was made and the year the decision issued.
Table 2
|
First instance decisions |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Granted (RS, SP, PTR) |
3,537 (71.70%) |
3,236 (36.72%) |
3,909 (27.80%) |
3,737 (18.61%) |
|
Refused / withdrew / inadmissible/ Dormant |
1,396 (28.30%) |
5,577 (63.28%) |
10,152 (72.20%) |
16,504 (81.39%) |
All applicants refused international protection have a right to appeal to the IPAT, who must then consider if the earlier IPO determinations on refugee status and subsidiary protection should be affirmed, or set aside.
Table 3 below details International Protection appeal decisions from 2022 to 2025.
Table 3
|
International Protection Appeals Tribunal Decisions Issued |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year |
Decision |
|
Total |
Decision % |
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside |
Refused/Affirmed |
|
Granted/Set Aside |
Refused/Affirmed |
|
2022 |
496 |
804 |
1300 |
38.20% |
61.80% |
|
2023 |
446 |
1136 |
1582 |
28.20% |
71.80% |
|
2024 |
819 |
2051 |
2870 |
28.50% |
71.50% |
|
2025 |
1488 |
4016 |
5504 |
27.00% |
73.00% |
Table 4 below shows applications to IPAT that were either withdrawn or deemed withdrawn from 2022 to 2025.
Table 4
|
Year |
Withdrawn/Deemed Withdrawn |
|
2022 |
266 |
|
2023 |
113 |
|
2024 |
211 |
|
2025 |
511 |
Deportations are costly and complex to enforce. It is the preferred option to return people voluntarily and my Department has a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. A person can only avail of voluntary return before a deportation order is issued and I have increased resources into this programme to enable individuals who wish to return before a deportation order is issued to them.
If a person does not remove themselves from the State following the issuance of a deportation order, they will be removed, and my Department has taken action to significantly improve immigration enforcement measures and increase removals.
The number of deportation orders signed in 2024 (2,403) increased by 180% compared to 2023 (857). In 2025, 4,700 deportation orders were signed, an increase of 96% compared to 2024.
My Department also secured a charter contract in November 2024 in order to add capacity to the State to enforce a greater number of deportations. In 2025, five deportation charter flights were organised and 182 people were removed from the State, along with 185 people who were deported by commercial flights.
The enforcement of deportation orders is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), and my Department works closely with the GNIB to progress arrangements for the removal of people subject to deportation orders.
As Ireland does not operate routine exit checks at Irish borders, it is not possible to confirm in all instances that a person has departed the State. A person is only recorded as being deported when their deportation has been enforced by An Garda Síochána or when officials have been provided with evidence that they have left Ireland.
While over 300 of the people subject to deportation orders above have confirmed they have left the State independently since 2020, it is the case that a significantly larger number of individuals who were subject to deportation orders have left the State without notifying the relevant authorities.
I am informed that the GNIB has reviewed a large sample of cases of people subject to deportation orders; their inquiries suggest a very significant number of these individuals have left the State.
Tables 5 and 6 below detail the number of deportation orders signed and effected from 2022 to 2025.
Table 5. Deportation orders signed from 2022 to 2025
|
Year |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Deportation orders signed |
549 |
859 |
2,403 |
4,700 |
Table 6. Deportation Enforcement 2022 to 2025
|
Year |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Enforced Deportations |
24 |
51 |
134 |
185 |
|
Removed by Charter |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
182 |
|
Otherwise Confirmed Deportation (1) |
93 |
28 |
28 |
67 |
|
Total Deportations |
117 |
79 |
162 |
434 |
|
Other Removals (2) |
39 |
24 |
26 |
61 |
|
Number of Voluntary Returns |
91 |
215 |
934 |
1,616 |
|
Total Removed |
247 |
318 |
1,122 |
2,111 |
* During the COVID- 19 Pandemic there was a moratorium on deportations. This was effective during the latter part of 2020, 2021 and for the first 8 months of 2022. During the moratorium only people who whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest were deported. This moratorium was lifted in July 2022.
1. Otherwise confirmed deportations is where it has been confirmed a person has left the state following receipt of a deportation order without being escorted.
2. Other removals include Dublin III Transfer Orders of International Protection applicants to another EU State and EU Removal Orders for the return of EU Citizens under the Free Movement Regulations (these orders are made on grounds of criminality) and people who are deemed inadmissible under the International Protection Act.
Please note, all figures provided are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
The resources required for the effective operation of the end-to-end International Protection system, including removals, is kept under review and additional resources will be deployed within the system as is appropriate and necessary.
