Justice Minister Prioritises Asylum Cases from Nigeria and Jordan
Dublin: Justice Minister Helen McEntee has announced a focus on processing asylum applications from Nigeria and Jordan, the two countries with the highest number of asylum seekers in Ireland over the past three months. These countries are not on Ireland’s list of ‘safe countries.’
Safe Country List and Processing Times
In April, Nigeria had the highest number of asylum applicants. Ireland’s list of safe countries includes Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, India, Kosovo, Malawi, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Serbia, and South Africa. Applications from these countries are expedited, with decisions issued within a maximum of 90 days. The burden is on the applicant to prove their need for asylum.
Focus on Nigeria and Jordan
The government aims to expedite the resettlement of refugees from Nigeria and Jordan, despite these countries not being categorised as safe. There have been allegations that many of the refugees from Jordan are Palestinians.
Refugee Statistics
In the first six months of 2024, the largest numbers of refugees arriving in Ireland were from Nigeria (2,999), Jordan (1,037), Pakistan (769), Somalia (664), and Bangladesh (649). This year alone, 10,600 people have sought refugee status in Ireland up to June 30. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ireland had fewer than 4,000 refugees annually; now, refugees comprise more than two percent of the country’s population.
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