Jim O'Callaghan

Under the plans, which constitute the most significant revision of the immigration system in the history of the State, asylum seekers would have to reside in particular locations and report to authorities regularly to stop them from living in makeshift encampments or tents on the street in Dublin and elsewhere.

The costs have been estimated by the Department of Justice at €875 million to set the scheme up, plus annual running costs of €725m once it is operational next year.

These figures are based on government plans to deal with between 10,000 and 18,000 applications annually and to provide 14,000 state-owned accommodation beds by 2028.

Dealing with illegal immigration is a priority for the government given the surge in far-right extremism and protests across the country.

The move is part of a sweeping overhaul of the immigration system by Mr O’Callaghan, who plans to publish the General Scheme of an International Protection Bill to enforce the EU’s new Pact on Migration and Asylum.

It will mean that people arriving at Irish ports or airports who seek asylum will have to undergo security and identity checks before being registered on European systems that track all asylum applications.

The International Protection Office, which deals with asylum applications, is to be replaced with a new entity responsible for making first-instance decisions on refugee status, subsidiary protection and return permissions.

The number of applications being refused has already risen sharply, with more than 81 per cent of claims being rejected this year. In 2022, the figure stood at 28 per cent.

A Department of Justice spokesman said: “Increased focus along with investments and system enhancements are yielding results.”