Helen McEntee

Under an accelerated decision-making process introduced in November 2022, applicants from ‘safe countries’ are currently receiving first decisions in less than 90 days.

While people from ‘safe countries’ are still entitled to apply for international protection and have their application considered thoroughly, they will have to submit grounds that the country is not safe in terms of their personal circumstances.

The number of countries on the list is now 15, including Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and South Africa.

Justice minister Helen McEntee said: “People who are in need of international protection should receive it quickly, and those who are not entitled to it should be returned to their country quickly also.

“This is the basis of Ireland’s firm but fair migration system, which is rules-based, with rules that are enforced, and seen to be enforced.

“I have also extended prioritisation and accelerated processing of international protection applications beyond safe countries of origin to applications from the country of origin with the highest number of applications.

“International protection applicants from the country which has had the highest number coming to Ireland over the previous three months will go into the accelerated process.

“These measures have proven effective. The number of applications from safe countries has reduced by more than 50 per cent since I introduced the accelerated procedure.”

She added: “It is important to emphasise however, that an application by a person from a safe country still receives a full consideration on its merit by the International Protection Office.

“We have seen that in the current list of safe countries, people are of course still granted international protection where they can show that their country is not safe for them.”