People with refugee status will still need a visa to travel to Ireland, after the Government decided to extend its suspension of the operation of a Council of Europe agreement on the issue.

Under the agreement, signatory countries issue Convention Travel Documents to refugees, which allow the holders to travel to other signatory countries without the need of a visa or prior clearance.

Ireland suspended the operation of the agreement in July 2022, and has now decided to extend it until further notice, with a review of the decision taking place after 12 months.

The visa-waiver arrangements for people fleeing the war in Ukraine are unaffected.

The Government said that its original decision was taken due to evidence of people applying for asylum in Ireland who had already received refugee status in another European country.

The visa exemption applies to holders of a Convention Travel Document issued by Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, or Switzerland.

‘Integrity’ of immigration system

Micheál Martin (Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs) said that the decision had been taken in the light of “unprecedented pressures” on the international-protection system.

“It is not a decision taken lightly, but it is the right one for Ireland at this time to ensure the integrity of our immigration system, to avoid any undue pressure on systems that are already under strain and to make sure that those who need protection in Ireland can get it and get it quickly,” he stated.

According to the Government. there was a 191% increase in applications for international protection by the end of June 2022, compared with the same pre-pandemic period in 2019.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee recently announced a modernisation programme for the international-protection system aimed at speeding up decisions on those applying for asylum in Ireland.