Asylum

More than twice as many asylum judicial review cases were lodged with the High Court last year than the year before, according to new figures. The Courts Service today published its annual report for 2023, revealing that almost 550,000 new cases came before the courts last year.

The Irish Refugee Council's independent law centre provided legal representation to 550 clients on reception conditions issues last year, according to its latest impact report. The law centre launched 10 new High Court judicial review cases in 2023, with three cases selected as lead cases in respect

Keir Starmer has been urged not to replace the previous UK government's Rwanda scheme with a new Albania scheme. The prime minister met yesterday with his Italian counterpart, Giorgia Meloni, who has struck a deal with Albania for asylum seekers to be processed there.

A watchdog has called for case studies concerning the use of age assessments in the UK asylum process. The Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration (ICIBI) has commenced an inspection of the Home Office’s use of age assessments.

The number of asylum seekers in the UK who have died in Home Office care has reportedly more than doubled in the past year. Though some deaths occurred due to illness or old age, others were suicides. Charities worry that the treatment of asylum seekers in the UK has adversely affected their health.

Ireland is breaching the human rights of asylum seekers by failing to provide for their basic needs, including accommodation, the High Court has ruled.

The European Commission has formally confirmed Ireland's participation in the controversial EU Pact on Migration and Asylum. Ireland is opting-in to seven legal acts under the Pact: the Reception Conditions Directive, Qualification Regulation, Asylum Procedure Regulation, Union Resettlement Framewor

The International Protection Office (IPO) is to begin prioritising cases from Jordan as well as Nigeria. There were 881 international protection applications from Jordan in the second quarter of 2024, making it the country with the second-highest volume of applications after Nigeria.

The Bibby Stockholm barge will no longer be used to house asylum from January next year, the UK government has announced. Moored in Portland, Dorset, it is one of three major accommodation sites for asylum seekers. The "floating prison" was commissioned in April 2023 but only began housing peop

Around £700 million was spent on the previous UK government's controversial Rwanda scheme and over £10 billion had been set aside for it over a six-year period, the new government has revealed. Home secretary Yvette Cooper yesterday told MPs that the scheme, which after two-and-a-half ye

South Africa and Botswana are to be added to the list of countries whose nationals must obtain a visa before travelling to Ireland. The change, which brings Irish visa requirements in line with the UK and the Schengen area, will come into effect from Wednesday 10 July but transitional arrangements w

Brazil, Egypt, India, Malawi and Morocco have been added to the list of 'safe countries of origin' used for processing asylum claims. Under an accelerated decision-making process introduced in November 2022, applicants from 'safe countries' are currently receiving first decisions in less than 90 day

The Oireachtas will later continue a tense debate on the government's proposal to fully opt-in to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact. Taoiseach Simon Harris yesterday told TDs that the pact "is a united effort from Europe, after excruciating work and negotiation over a long period, to ensure we have f

Around 400 additional staff will be appointed to the International Protection Office over the next 12 months in a bid to "maintain processing times, significantly increase removals and enhance border security". Justice minister Helen McEntee said the additional resources are necessary as between 20,

Two young Iraqi women can claim asylum in the Netherlands on the basis that they have become "westernised" during their stay in the country and could be persecuted if forced to return to Iraq, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has ruled. The two women are sisters of Iraqi nationality