Asylum seekers from Pakistan will have their applications fast-tracked under plans introduced on Tuesday.
The Department of Justice said applications from Pakistan have grown “considerably” in recent years. In each of the last two quarters, Pakistani nationals ranked as the second-highest nationality for international protection applications.
As of July 24th, 905 people from Pakistan sought international protection in Ireland this year. This compares to 1,391 for the whole of 2024, 624 in 2023, 242 in 2022 and 68 in 2021.
Since November 2022, international protection applicants from certain countries receive a decision on their application in about four months. This timeline is expected to further reduce in the coming months, said a department spokesperson.
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Accelerated processing for certain international protection applications previously focused on people from 15 “safe countries of origin”: Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, India, Kosovo, Malawi, Morocco, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and South Africa.
The process was more recently widened to include countries from where there has been a surge in the numbers seeking asylum, such as Nigeria and Jordan.
Commenting on the addition of Pakistan to the accelerated processing list, Mr O’Callaghan said he is “committed to ensuring that the protection system works for those who genuinely need our help”.
One of the ways this is done is by prioritising applications for people from safe countries or countries with a large number of applications, he said.
“This approach allows us to adapt to the changing patterns of international protection and is a critical element of our firm but fair approach.”
Mr O’Callaghan said this approach is “working”. He noted there has been a 43 per cent reduction in application numbers compared to this time last year.
A third of asylum seekers entering the State this year have had their applications considered under the fast-track decision-making process, according to figures from earlier this month.
Figures shared at a meeting of the Cabinet subcommittee on migration showed 32 per cent of applications are being accelerated.
