How does Ireland’s asylum system work and is it problematic? Aidan O’Sullivan reports.
Migration may be the political problem of the century: The cause célèbre for the far right, an economic necessity for much of Europe, and perhaps at its simplest, a basic fact of human nature.
Most recently, Tanaiste Simon Harris came under the media glare for comments about migration in which he seemed to blame high migration numbers on illegal migrants and false asylum claims. The Tanaiste said that “migration numbers are too high” and that “there are too many people who come to this country and are told they do not have a right to be here, and it is taking too long for them to leave the country."
But how problematic is illegal migration in this country and how does Ireland’s asylum system actually work?
The Basics
While asylum applications have dropped by 40% in 2025, in less than 5 years Ireland has seen applications rise from 2,615 in 2021 to 18,435 in 2024.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in 2024 there were a total of 156,516 under their mandate in Ireland: 124,747 refugees and 31,769 asylum seekers. This includes the 80,000 Ukrainians said to be still living in Ireland
According to the Irish government, as of September 2024 there are currently 32,934 people living in international protection accommodation in Ireland in over 300 locations.
To put that in perspective Ireland’s population in April of this year was 5,458,600 with 16.3% of those residents being non-Irish citizens. That makes those living under international protection status in Ireland in all likelihood around 3% of the population, if not less.
So, while Ireland may have seen a sudden surge in asylum seekers in recent years, it remains miniscule in comparison to the wider population. This is not to say that these increases do not add pressure to an already strained housing system, but they have a much smaller impact than traditional migration.
How is one granted International Protection in Ireland?
Currently, to be granted international protection in the Republic of Ireland one must qualify as either a refugee or be eligible for subsidiary protection or temporary protection status.
Under the 1951 Geneva Refugee Convention, of which Ireland is a signatory, a refugee is defined as someone who cannot return to their home country due to a “well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality [or] membership of a particular social group or political opinion.”
Subsidiary protection similarly protects those who may not qualify as refugees but still fear for their safety in their home countries.
While temporary protection, granted primarily for Ukrainians, is activated by the European temporary protection directive, a tool founded after the collapse of Yugoslavia to help ease mass influxes of asylum seekers. The policy is currently active until March 2026 and grants Ukrainians a year’s residence in Ireland subject to extensions.
A Changing Government?
Harris’s comments reflect the more hardline stance Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have taken on immigration since taking office in 2025.
Minister of Justice Jim O’Callaghan has declared that he and his department will be deciding applications and appeals within 12 weeks by June of next year.
Deportations have increased almost threefold this year..
Ireland is also set to implement the new European Migration and Asylum Pact in 2026. It was introduced by former Justice minister Helen McEntee as ‘a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure in full compliance with fundamental rights.’
However, the Irish Refugee council recommended the government not join the pact, saying “it will result in deterioration of standards and an asylum procedure which does not respect basic rights or contain safeguards for vulnerable applicants.”
Certainly, a fair and efficient asylum system is a must in the 21st century. However, whether this will be achieved by the new government direction remains debatable.