Justice Minister Helen McEntee is set to add India, Brazil, Morocco, Egypt and Malawi to the official list of safe countries under new plans to be brought to Cabinet today.
Individuals from a designated “safe” country can still apply for asylum in Ireland, but their cases will be significantly sped up. The applicant must demonstrate why their situation is exceptional and merits protection despite their country being generally considered safe.
These claims will undergo “accelerated processing,” with a final decision made within 90 days at most.
“Safe countries of origin” are considered countries where it can be shown that there is typically no persecution, torture, inhumane treatment or indiscriminate violence. Before the newest 5 additions, Ireland had 10 countries on the list, which include Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and South Africa.
According to IPAS figures, in the past year, the number of asylum seekers to Ireland from India increased from 132 to 198.
Meanwhile, asylum applicants from Morocco increased from 294 to 370, those from Egypt rose from 367 to 464, and those from Malawi increased from 224 to 225.
Last year Ireland had 65 asylum seekers from Brazil. However, due to a change in the way the Department of Integration records figures, it is not clear how many there are currently.
It comes as the topic of immigration has once again featured as the top issue for voters in the latest snapshot poll.
The latest monthly Snapshot poll by Ipsos for The Irish Times shows that immigration is once more the top issue cited by voters – and they have an “overwhelmingly negative view of the Government’s performance on the issue”.https://t.co/c7TgoqMMGR
— gript (@griptmedia) June 24, 2024