My Department takes all necessary steps to manage the international protection process efficiently and effectively, while ensuring the integrity of those processes is maintained at all times.
The number of international protection applications last year was 13,650, a significant increase on recent years. It represents a 186% increase on the number received in 2019, the most recent year in which application numbers were not impacted by Covid-19. To end of October 2023 the IPO has received 10,386 international protection applications.
In July this year, I published a report on the international protection modernisation programme for 2023 and 2024. This programme is implementing measures to improve efficiencies and throughput as well as improving the application, interview and decision-making process for applicants. This will give status to those who are entitled to international protection to rebuild their lives here, while also ensuring faster decision making in respect of those who do not meet the criteria.
Already these reforms are having a significant impact with the median processing time for first-instance decisions reducing from 18 months in 2022 down to 15 months in 2023. The median processing times for appeals is also down from 15 months at the beginning of 2022 to five months in 2023.
As part of this modernisation programme, I also signed a regulation in November 2022 to introduce an accelerated procedure for international protection applicants from designated safe countries of origin. These applicants now typically receive a first instance decision in less than three months, which is a significant reduction from a norm of 22 to 26 months early last year.
The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) is a statutorily independent body and exercises a quasi-judicial function under the International Protection Act 2015.
The International Protection Appeals Tribunal's (IPAT) operational capacity is also currently being significantly expanded to meet their increased caseload. Additional resources are being deployed through increasing the number of Tribunal members as well as further recruitment of administrative staff.
The table attached details the data requested by the Deputy including number of applicants, number of initial decisions, number of appeals, number of appeal decisions, number of JRs, and the decision outcome positive and negative with respect to international protection by type of status, for the years 2017 to 2022 and to date in 2023.
Statistics before 2017 are not easily available in the manner sought as data would have to be extracted from a number of legacy systems. With the introduction of the International Protection Act in 2016 and the creation of the International Protection Office a new database allows for easier collation of data in more recent years.
Appeals with Appeal Type (2017 - Oct 2023)
year_appeal
|
Total
|
appeal_type
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
|
Accelerated IP Appeal
|
1
|
4
|
219
|
374
|
184
|
236
|
1700
|
2718
|
Accelerated IP Appeal - Asylum only
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
Dublin 111
|
5
|
155
|
148
|
55
|
17
|
22
|
116
|
518
|
Inadmissible Appeal
|
10
|
16
|
26
|
15
|
5
|
79
|
153
|
304
|
Legacy - Asylum Appeal
|
22
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
22
|
NA
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
4
|
4
|
SP Appeal - Legacy
|
128
|
49
|
31
|
3
|
1
|
4
|
0
|
216
|
Subsequent Appeal
|
40
|
33
|
40
|
47
|
13
|
12
|
5
|
190
|
Substantive IP Appeal
|
610
|
1719
|
1543
|
714
|
499
|
795
|
1746
|
7626
|
Substantive IP Appeal - Asylum only
|
34
|
132
|
88
|
68
|
54
|
32
|
25
|
433
|
Substantive IP Appeal - SP only
|
59
|
52
|
13
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
133
|
Total
|
909
|
2160
|
2108
|
1279
|
775
|
1183
|
3751
|
12165
|
Appeal Decisions with Appeal Type (2017 - Oct 2023)
|
|
|
year_decision
|
|
|
|
2017
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
2023
|
appeal_type
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accelerated IP Appeal
|
decision
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
2
|
1
|
3
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum and Subsidiary protection
|
0
|
0
|
52
|
147
|
171
|
269
|
369
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Subsidiary protection
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
3
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside - Asylum
|
0
|
0
|
8
|
14
|
51
|
64
|
78
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside - Subsidiary Protection (SP)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
9
|
5
|
|
|
Subsequent - Set Aside
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin 111
|
decision
|
(No Categorized)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum and Subsidiary protection
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
Dublin 3 - Affirmed
|
0
|
16
|
132
|
86
|
12
|
20
|
23
|
|
|
Dublin 3 - Set Aside
|
0
|
5
|
19
|
17
|
5
|
7
|
2
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside - Asylum
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dublin III - Legacy
|
decision
|
Granted/Set Aside
|
19
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Refused/Affirmed
|
210
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Void
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inadmissable Appeal
|
decision
|
Inadmissible - Affirmed
|
0
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Refused/Affirmed
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inadmissible Appeal
|
decision
|
(No Categorized)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum and Subsidiary protection
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
4
|
|
|
Inadmissible - Affirmed
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
17
|
10
|
12
|
105
|
|
|
Inadmissible - Set Aside
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
6
|
3
|
10
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Legacy - Asylum Appeal
|
decision
|
Granted/Set Aside - Asylum
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
NA
|
decision
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum and Subsidiary protection
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
SP Appeal - Legacy
|
decision
|
Granted/Set Aside
|
42
|
19
|
10
|
4
|
7
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Refused/Affirmed
|
190
|
58
|
30
|
11
|
1
|
6
|
2
|
|
|
Void
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Subsequent Appeal
|
decision
|
Granted/Set Aside - Asylum
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Subsequent - Affirmed
|
3
|
36
|
26
|
15
|
20
|
12
|
3
|
|
|
Subsequent - Set Aside
|
7
|
11
|
9
|
9
|
16
|
9
|
0
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Substantive IP Appeal
|
decision
|
(No Categorized)
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
5
|
|
|
Abandoned
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
5
|
3
|
4
|
3
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum and Subsidiary protection
|
75
|
585
|
1124
|
472
|
444
|
471
|
408
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Subsidiary protection
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside - Asylum
|
15
|
240
|
412
|
248
|
265
|
362
|
231
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside - Subsidiary Protection (SP)
|
0
|
27
|
41
|
18
|
15
|
24
|
19
|
|
|
Inadmissible - Affirmed
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
|
|
Inadmissible - Set Aside
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
|
|
Subsequent - Set Aside
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
3
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Substantive IP Appeal - Asylum only
|
decision
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum
|
12
|
2
|
11
|
3
|
1
|
5
|
1
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum and Subsidiary protection
|
0
|
0
|
1
|
1
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Subsidiary protection
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside - Asylum
|
4
|
5
|
19
|
9
|
15
|
22
|
4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Substantive IP Appeal - SP only
|
decision
|
Affirmed decision - Asylum and Subsidiary protection
|
0
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
|
|
Affirmed decision - Subsidiary protection
|
6
|
46
|
25
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
|
|
Granted/Set Aside - Subsidiary Protection (SP)
|
8
|
8
|
5
|
0
|
3
|
1
|
1
|
International Protection JRs 2017 to 2023 (to end Oct)
Year
|
No. of JRs
|
2017
|
184
|
2018
|
215
|
2019
|
231
|
2020
|
249
|
2021
|
88
|
2022
|
74
|
2023
|
185
|