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Draft bill to ‘reset’ drawn-out asylum process

The Government has approved draft legislation that the Minister for Justice says will streamline the process of making decisions on applications for asylum. 

The proposed measures would also “significantly” limit oral hearings of asylum appeals. 

The International Protection Bill 2025 is intended to replace the International Protection Act 2015, and is part of Ireland’s efforts to bring its procedures into line with the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.

The pact, which comes into effect next year, is aimed at harmonising and improving the management of migration across the EU.   

Decisions ‘taking too long’ 

The general scheme of the bill was published yesterday (29 April), and it will now be referred to the relevant Oireachtas Committee for pre-legislative scrutiny. 

“The current international-protection system is not working effectively, with decisions taking far too long. The pact offers us an opportunity, both here in Ireland and across the EU, to reset the system,” said Minister Jim O’Callaghan. 

The changes in the bill include: 

• Streamlining the decisions process,
• Streamlining the returns process,
• New ‘border procedure’ with a three-month time limit for decisions, and
• New institutional arrangements for international-protection decisions and appeals. 

The border procedure sets a 12-week time limit for first-instance and appeal decisions to be completed for applicants from countries of origin with a recognition rate of 20% or less across the EU, or who have no documents or false documents, or who pose a security risk. 

Fewer oral hearings 

There are also proposals to reduce the number of oral hearings of appeals, compared with the 2015 act. 

“Fewer oral hearings at appeal stage will allow decisions to be made without the need for applicants, legal representatives, and translators all to be present,” the minister stated. 

“Appeal officers will make decisions based on the information on file from the initial decision and any additional written information submitted in the appeal process,” he added.