A third of asylum seekers entering the State this year have had their applications considered under a fast-track decision-making process, new figures show.
Accelerated processing was expanded by the previous coalition government as the numbers seeking international protection soared after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Shortly after the process was introduced in 2022, some 20 per cent of people applying for asylum were subject to the accelerated system, but this fell to 13 per cent in 2023.
However, the number of countries from where applicants are subject to accelerated decision-making has increased in recent years beyond the “safe country” list it was initially based on.
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The process was widened to include countries from where there has been a surge in the numbers seeking asylum.
Under the reforms, introduced last year, the International Protection Office (IPO) prioritises cases from the top two countries of origin – those with the highest number of applicants in the previous three months. It was previously confined to the single country with the highest number of applicants in the previous quarter-year.
The first two countries from outside the “safe country” list to be used as part of the system were Nigeria and Jordan.
Figures shared at a meeting of the Cabinet subcommittee on migration show 32 per cent of applications are being accelerated.
According to the data, out of 5,039 applications so far this year, 1,622 cases were accelerated.
The increased number of fast-track asylum cases comes in tandem with a significant reduction in the number of people seeking asylum in the State.
Applications were down by 44 per cent year on year in the period to mid-June, according to a presentation, based on Department of Justice data, given to Ministers.
Government figures believe the introduction of faster processing has contributed to the significant decline in the number of people seeking international protection here.
The meeting also considered data on the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT), which handles appeals to first-instance decisions made on asylum applications.
It shows that the tribunal expects to receive 17,000 appeals this year, having completed 2,130 in the five months to the end of May.
It accepted 8,835 appeals last year. In the first five months of the last year it had already accepted 5,730 appeals.
To manage the increased workload, the tribunal’s headcount is being increased from six full-time members to 30, and part-time members are growing from 88 to 160.
