A total of 13,227 people sought international protection in the State last year, new figures show, down by 400 on the previous year.

The numbers do not include the 102,000 Ukrainians who have fled to Ireland since Russia invaded their homeland in February 2022.

The number of applicants in each of the last two years has been almost t three times the 2019 total, when Ireland received 4,781 requests for international protection.

This “big jump” leaves Ireland to “more or less on a par” with the European norm, said Richard Dixon, who leads the office that processes and determines protection applications, including requests from Ukrainians under a specific temporary protection scheme.

This article is from the Irish Times on January 10th 2024.

The full article can be found HERE

13 January 2022

The Regularisation of Long Term Undocumented Migrants Scheme will open for applications on Monday, 31 January 2022.

Applications will be accepted for six months until 31 July 2022 when the scheme will close.

The scheme will enable applicants, and their eligible dependents where the specific criteria is met, to remain and reside in the State and to regularise their residency status.

Principal applicants who are eligible under the scheme will:

  • Have a period of 4 years residence in the State without an immigration permission, or 3 years in the case of those with minor children, immediately prior to the date on which the scheme opens for applications;
  • Be permitted to include a spouse, civil partner or defacto partner and eligible children aged 18 – 23 years who must have been living with the principal applicant for 2 years immediately prior to the date on which the Scheme opens for applications;
  • Be granted an immigration permission that allows for unrestricted access to the labour market; and
  • Have years of residence with that permission reckonable for the purposes of pursuing citizenship by way of naturalisation.

Those with an existing Deportation Order can apply, if they meet the minimum undocumented residence requirement. Applicants must meet standards regarding good character and criminal record/behaviour and not pose a threat to the State. Having convictions for minor offences will not, of itself, result in disqualification.

People with expired student permissions will also be able to apply, if they meet the minimum undocumented residence requirement.

Further details regarding the qualifying criteria and the required documentation for the scheme are now available.

As previously announced by the Minister, international protection applicants who have an outstanding application for international protection and have been in the asylum process for a minimum of 2 years will have a separate application process. Applicants will be contacted directly with further details at the appropriate time.

  • Applies to permissions due to expire between 15 January 2022 and 31 May 2022
  • Extension applies to people with permissions extended under previous notices
  • For permissions registered by the Immigration Service in Dublin and An Garda Síochána nationwide

 

17 December, 2021

The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has today announced a further temporary extension of immigration and international protection permissions to 31 May, 2022.

This applies to permissions that are due to expire between 15 January 2022 and 31 May 2022 and includes permissions that have already been extended by the previous eight temporary extensions since March 2020.

Clare Immigrant Support Centre welcomes the launch of the long awaited Regularisation Scheme which will transform the lives of many individuals and families living  here in Clare and all over Ireland.

The  Regularisation Scheme will launch early in  2022 and be open for 6 months. The scheme proposes to regularise the immigration statuses of Individuals with dependent children after 3 years of being undocumented in the State and individuals living in Ireland undocumented for at least 4 years by the time the scheme opens in 2022. Succesful applicants will have the right to live, work engage in education and will also have a pathway to becoming Irish citizens.

Very importantly the scheme will also be open to individuals who have been in the international protection process for 2 years or more, this will be of great benefit to  reducing the big  backlog of asylum seekers living for years in the much-criticised direct provision accomodation system while  awaiting  decisions on their international protection applicatiions.

  • Visa applications will now be accepted for essential family reunification
  • Applications also accepted from people who have been granted an employment permit and are travelling for essential business or employment purposes

20 May 2021

The Minister for Justice, Heather Humphreys TD, and the Minister of State for Law Reform, Youth Justice and Immigration, James Browne TD, have today announced that two new categories have been added to the priority/emergency list of visas being processed at this time.

Visa applications will now be accepted from people who are seeking to join their family members in Ireland, and from those who are travelling for essential business or employment purposes and have been issued with an employment permit by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

Departemt of Justice and Equality
Amif
Government of Ireland
Government of Ireland
European Union AMIF
Tusla
Departemt of Justice and Equality
Clare County Council
This project is co-financed by the European Commission under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2014 - 2020 and is supported by the Department of Justice and Equality.
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