International Protection Office

9 results

The man told the court a ceremony took place at the mosque blessing a sexual relationship between the pair, which was not a marriage. File photograph: Cyril Byrne/The Irish Times
Man accused of rape says woman seeking asylum made allegations to stay in State

A man accused of raping a woman he had been introduced to through his mosque suggested to gardaí­that she made the allegation so she could stay in Ire(...)

The man has pleaded not guilty to three Photograph: Dave Meehan/The Irish Times
Lawyers for man accused of rape ask woman if she wanted to marry for residency status

Lawyers for a man accused of raping a woman who was seeking asylum have suggested to the alleged victim that her objective in meeting the defendant wa(...)

Asylum-seekers in the Pournara temporary accommodation centre outside the Cypriot capital Nicosia. Photograph: Christina Assi/AFP via Getty Images
Numbers seeking asylum down by 67% due to impact of Covid-19

The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in the numbers seeking asylum in Ireland falling by two thirds in 2020. New figures released by State agency, the Inte(...)

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said efforts to speed up the application process have been “seriously impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic”. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Asylum seekers face almost 18-month wait for decision on requests

Asylum seekers are waiting nearly 18 months for their applications to be processed by the International Protection Office (IPO) despite the Governmen(...)

Brian Hayes, chief executive of BPFI, warned that direct provision residents ‘may be unable to meet the requirements for suitable proof of address issued to the individual at their home address in the last six months given that their accommodation is temporary’. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
Give asylum seekers ‘ID to open bank accounts’

The Government should provide asylum seekers with “acceptable identification documents” and proof of address so they can open bank accounts and manage(...)

Dr Catherine Day headed up an expert group asked to examine options to replace the direct provision system. File photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times.
New asylum system will fail if backlog of applicants not cleared, Day warns

Plans to replace direct provision with a new system for asylum seekers will fail unless the large backlog of people awaiting a decision on their claim(...)

A report by a Government-appointed expert group into ending direct provision and changes to the international protection process has made a series of recommendations to improve the system for asylum seekers. File photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Asylum seekers’ wait time before working cut to six months

Independent monitoring of centres, a reduction in the time an asylum seeker must wait before entering the labour force and vulnerability assessments, (...)

Supreme Court rules man has no legal right to remain in Ireland

A man from the Democratic Republic of Congo has lost his Supreme Court appeal over a decision he has no legal right to remain in Ireland. His partne(...)

A protest outside the Department of Justice organised in conjunction with the Irish Refugee Council to mark the 15th anniversary of direct provision. File photograph: Dave Meehan
Questionnaires cause ‘distress’ for people in direct provision

A “complicated” new application form is causing “extreme distress and confusion” for thousands of people in direct provision, groups working in the s(...)