Suspension of visa-free travel for refugees to Ireland to be extended

The Government has decided to extend the temporary suspension on visa-free travel for refugees in Europe.

The Council of Europe Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees was originally suspended in July 2022, and this has now been extended for a further 12 months, after which a review will take place.

It means people with refugee status from other European countries will require a visa to travel to Ireland rather than travelling visa-free with their Convention Travel Document.

Under the terms of the European Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees, International Protection (IP) applicants can travel without a visa between signatory countries so long as they stay no more than three months.

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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.

The decision to introduce visa requirements for those with refugee status was taken “in light of evidence of people applying for asylum in Ireland who had already received refugee status in another European country,” a statement from the Department of Justice said.

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

Tánaiste Micheál Martin said the decision was taken “in the context of unprecedented pressures on our 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 said.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she believed the decision was “necessary to protect Ireland’s immigration system”.

When the suspension on visa-free travel for refugees was first introduced last summer, the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) called the decision “regrettable”.

IRC chief executive Nick Henderson said at the time that the exemption was used by low numbers and the suspension risked “being disproportionate and regressive”.

He said the agreement was an important way for families torn apart by war to visit each other across Europe.

The continued imposition of a visa requirement will last until July 2024 and “will not prevent travel to Ireland by 1951 Convention document holders,” the department said, adding that “genuine” travel plans will be facilitated through standard visa arrangements.

Since the introduction of the suspension, there have been 803 Convention Travel Document visa applications, of which 697 were granted and 105 refused.