Social Affairs

Brazil, Egypt and India among five new ‘safe countries’ for asylum

Applications for protection from countries on list will be accelerated, with an initial decision in three months

Officials stress that the designation of a state as a safe country of origin does not mean that a claim for asylum is inadmissible. Photograph: Alan Betson

Pat Leahy
Tue Jul 2 2024 - 00:01

Asylum seekers from five more countries face an accelerated process, with quicker decisions made on whether they qualify for refugee status, from this Wednesday.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is expected to briefing Cabinet colleagues on Tuesday about the proposed additions to the list of safe countries, which will mean that their applications for asylum will be accelerated, with an initial decision due within three months. The countries to be added to the safe list are: Brazil, Egypt, India, Malawi and Morocco.

This is in addition to 10 countries already designated as safe countries of origin: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and South Africa.

Officials stress that the designation of a state as a safe country of origin does not mean that a claim for asylum is inadmissible for anyone coming from that country, or that a person cannot make an application. Instead, it places the onus on the applicant to demonstrate why their case is exceptional and why they are in need of protection.

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The introduction of safe country status and the consequent accelerated processing times have led to a drop in the number of applications from those countries. For example, since Botswana and Algeria were added to the list in January of this year, applications from those countries fell by 71 per cent.

Applicants from Nigeria – although it is not designated a safe country – are also put in an accelerated application process. Since that was announced, applications from there have dropped almost by half.

Figures from the Department of Justice show that Nigeria continues to be the largest single source of people seeking asylum here. Of the 9,199 applications received in the five months to the beginning of June, 2843 (31 per cent) were from Nigeria.

Last week, the Dáil voted by 79 votes to 72 to opt into the controversial EU Migration and Asylum Pact for a standardised immigration control system across the 27 member states.

The pact has been in discussion at EU level for the past eight years and the Government announced three months ago that it would be opting in to the pact, which will come into effect in two years’ time.

Under the pact’s rules, there will be tougher border security checks including identification and health checks with the collection of biometric data including fingerprints for anyone above the age of six. Migrants will be accommodated in holding centres close to airports and ports, which the Government has insisted will not be detention centres, while asylum seekers’ applications will be processed within a maximum of 12 weeks.

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy

Pat Leahy is Political Editor of The Irish Times

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