Ireland is planning to expand its list of “safe countries,” with Minister for Justice Helen McEntee intending to add Egypt, Morocco, India, Brazil, and Malawi to this list. The Government will consider this proposal at an upcoming Cabinet meeting on this Tuesday second of July.
This means that asylum seekers from these countries will now be able to have their international protection applications dealt with within 90 days.
Since its introduction in November 2022, accelerated processing has significantly reduced the number of applications from these countries by over 50%.
According to IPAS data, asylum seeker numbers have fluctuated across several countries in the past year. Malawi saw a minimal increase from 224 to 225 applicants. Morocco experienced a notable rise of 76 applicants, reaching 370.
Egypt’s numbers climbed from 367 to 464 asylum seekers, and India saw an increase from 132 to 198. As for Brazil, while figures are no longer publicly disclosed for countries with fewer than 121 asylum seekers, 65 were reported on June 25 last year, but current numbers remain unspecified due to revised reporting policies by the Department of Integration.
The fact that a country may be designated a “safe country” does not bar an application for international protection; it simply shifts the burden back to the applicant, who then assumes the duty to justify the need for protection in exceptional circumstances.
A safe country of origin may be recognized if there is evidence to show that there isn’t consistent persecution, torture, inhuman treatment, or threat from indiscriminate violence.
There are currently 10 countries designated as safe countries of origin.These include Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and South Africa.
