Minister Jim O’Callaghan welcomes commencement of the International Protection Act 2026

The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan welcomes the commencement of the International Protection Act 2026 today (12 June).

The legislation represents the most significant reform of Irish asylum laws in the history of the State and gives effect to the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.

The objective of the Act is to provide a fair, sustainable and efficient asylum procedure that is consistent with how asylum laws operate across the EU.

Under the Act, upon arrival to the State, applicants will be required to go through screening, which will involve enhanced security and identity checks and the taking of biometric data.

The Act also provides for faster processing, including an accelerated Border Procedure for some applicants, where all decisions and appeals will be concluded within 3 months.

The Border Procedure will be for applicants that are from a country where the proportion of decisions granting international protection is 20% or lower. It can also be used for applicants who are known to have misled authorities or to have destroyed or disposed of an identity or travel document.

A new State body, the Tribunal for Asylum and Returns Appeals (TARA) will have responsibility for appeals, and the removal and deportations process will be faster and less bureaucratic.

Minister Jim O’Callaghan said:

Decision-making under the Act will be faster, meaning successful applicants will be granted international protection sooner, and those whose applications are refused can be returned to their country of origin sooner.

Faster processing will result in increased savings to the exchequer with applicants spending less time in the International Protection process and in accommodation.

Minister O’Callaghan also today has appointed Her Honour Judge Karen Fergus as Interim Chief Inspector of Border Procedures to monitor compliance with fundamental human rights in the asylum Border Procedure. Her Honour Judge Fergus is a retired Judge of the Circuit Court.

On the commencement of the International Protection Act, Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy said:

Minister Brophy has also today announced the introduction of an accommodation requirement for those seeking to have their family join them in the state. These changes will take effect from today (12 June).

General Employment Permit holders and other Category C sponsors will be required to provide supporting documentation to demonstrate that they are in a position to accommodate their joining family members, while all sponsors will be ineligible if they are in certain supported accommodation.

The financial thresholds for Irish citizens applying to be joined by spouses and children are also increasing from today. A sponsor must now show a gross income over 3 years of €75,000 (€25,000 per year) an increase from €40,000 (€13,333 per year). Other financial thresholds will increase in line with indexation.

People granted international protection status will also now be required to wait two years from the date they were granted protection before becoming eligible to apply for family reunification under the new Act. Applicants must also meet a number of additional requirements, including demonstrating that the sponsor has sufficient financial resources to support family members without placing an undue burden on the State. There are certain exceptions to this where the sponsor is a minor. In addition, the sponsor must also not be in receipt of certain social protection payments or housing supports and must not owe a debt to the State for a defined period prior to submitting an application.

Commenting on these new measures Minister Brophy said:

The International Protection Act 2026 gives effect to the measures of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.

Under the International Protection Act 2026, upon arrival to the State, applicants will be required to go through screening, which will involve initial security and identity checks and the taking of biometric data for registration on the Eurodac system.

During the screening process, applicants will undergo further security, identity, health and vulnerability checks. Applicants will be provided with information about the international protection process, their rights and responsibilities, and be supported with legal counselling. The Legal Aid Board will continue to provide independent legal advice and representation to applicants for international protection in the usual manner.

This screening process will determine the procedure under which the applicant’s international protection application will be examined. International protection applicants will have their asylum claim examined through clearly defined mandatory timelines. These are two months under the inadmissibility procedure, three months under the asylum border procedure, three months under the accelerated procedure, and six months under the ordinary procedure. The border procedure has the shortest duration with a first instance decision, a return decision and an appeal of both of those decisions within 12 weeks.

People seeking international protection will now present at the Citywest Reception Centre (formerly called the Citywest Hotel and Convention Centre) to make their application.

People in the asylum border procedure will be accommodated at Citywest Reception Centre until they receive a decision on their application.

People who are in other asylum pathway procedures will be accommodated at the centre for an initial screening process. This process will take a maximum of seven days, during which time a variety of vulnerability, health and application checks will be completed by a multi-disciplinary team. Following this, people will be accommodated in other IPAS centres.