Political agreement reached on key parts of the Pact on Migration and Asylum

On 20 December political agreement was reached by the European Parliament and the Council on key proposals under the Pact on Migration and Asylum. The agreement covers five key proposed Regulations: Screening Regulation: creating uniform rules concerning the identification of non-EU nationals upon their arrival, thus increasing the security within the Schengen area. Eurodac Regulation: developing a common database gathering … Read More

Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration & Youth publishes report on Refugees and Integration

  On 28 November 2023, the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth published a report on Refugees and Integration. The report which outlines various recommendations was part of the Committee’s recent work on reviewing issues relating to refugees and integration, such as the timely processing of applications for international protection, accommodation of applicants, combatting misinformation and disinformation, … Read More

What to expect from the European Network on Migration and EMN Ireland in 2024

  In 2024, like every year, the European Migration Network (EMN) will publish outputs on a range of migration and asylum related issues. Research topics are proposed by EMN National Contact Points (NCPs) and the European Commission and selected by EMN Member and Observer States. This article outlines some topics of focus for EMN (wider) and EMN Ireland in 2024. … Read More

New census data on labour market participation of migrants released

  On 5 December 2023, the Central Statistics Office released Profile 7 – Employment, Occupations and Commuting of Census 2022. Profile 7 provides detailed analysis of labour market participation, unemployment and occupations, by country of citizenship and for recently arrived migrants.  For the overall population, Census 2022 data records increases in the number of people employed, standing at 2.3 million … Read More

EMN Ireland publishes Annual Report on Migration and Asylum in Ireland 2022

Today the European Migration Network (EMN) Ireland published its Annual Report on Migration and Asylum in Ireland 2022. With an overview of the latest data as well as policy and operational developments, research, and case law from 2022, this report is a comprehensive reference that gives an opportunity to view the entire migration landscape in Ireland. The report shows that … Read More

COE expert group on violence against women and domestic violence publishes first report on Ireland

  On 14 November 2023, the Council of Europe (COE) Group of Experts on Action against Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (GREVIO) published its baseline report on Ireland. GREVIO is an independent human rights monitoring body that monitors the implementation of the COE Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (the “Istanbul Convention”). Ireland ratified … Read More

Third National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking launched

  On Monday 6 November, the Department of Justice launched the third National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking. Human trafficking is a crime that is based on the deception and exploitation of people. It is defined as the movement or holding of persons, by means of the threat or use of force or other forms of coercion or deception, … Read More

One in ten of the population are non-Irish citizens, census 2022 figures show

  On 26th October, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) released Profile 5 Diversity, Migration, Ethnicity, Irish Travellers and Religion of the 2022 Census. Profile 5 looks at the diversity of the population in Ireland, including country of citizenship, ethnic group or background, and languages spoken. Patterns of immigration in the year leading up to the census, Irish Travellers and religion … Read More

New data on arrivals from Ukraine in CSO’s latest release

  On the 24 October 2023 the Central Statistics Office (CSO) released the eleventh report in the Arrivals from Ukraine in Ireland series. The figures related to the numbers of arrivals are based on Personal Public Service Number (PPSN) allocations to people protected under the Temporary Protection Directive, as of the week ending 08 October 2023. Summary of arrivals In … Read More

Holders of ” Stamp 4″ residence permissions new eligible for civil service roles.

  On Monday 23rd October, Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, Pascal Donohoe TD announced the expansion of civil service eligibility criteria to include non-EEA individuals holding Stamp 4 residence permissions. People with Stamp 4 permissions are free to take up employment in Ireland, however previously the eligibility criteria for civil service roles included citizenship from within the … Read More

Public Consultation to inform national migrant integration strategy launched

  The Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (DCEDIY) has launched a public consultation to inform the development of a new national strategy for migrant integration. The consultation plans to gather insights and experiences of challenges, needs and opportunities regarding migrant integration in Ireland. The consultation is open until 30 November 2023. The approach of the Migrant Integration … Read More

Ombudsman for Children’s Office publishes first Special Report on the Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision

  On Tuesday 19th October 2023, the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) published a Special Report on the Safety and Welfare of Children in Direct Provision. It is the first report of its kind since the OCO was established in 2004. The Special Report highlights concern regarding the lack of progress on its previous three recommendations, which were issued in … Read More

Department of Justice begins accepting Citizenship applications online

  The Department of Justice has announced that as part of the Immigration Service Delivery Modernisation Programme, the citizenship application process is now digitalised. The online service allows applicants to complete their application form, upload necessary supporting documentation and pay fees online. Applications for Citizenship have increased in recent years, totalling over 17,000 in 2022 and over 16,000 to date … Read More

Latest Population and Migration figures show the largest 12-month increase since 2008

  On Monday 25 September 2023 the Central Statistics Office released their annual Population and Migration Estimates report. The figures in this report are calculated by using the usually resident 2022 data from the Census of Population as a baseline. According to the report, immigration is at a 16-year high with 141,600 individuals establishing residence in the state over the … Read More

New legislation relaxes requirements for naturalisation and removes option to leave voluntarily for deportees with serious offence convictions

  The Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023, which commenced on 2 August 2023, contains a range of amendments and updates to law related to Irish nationality and citizenship, civil liability, bankruptcy, legal services, immigration, international protection, and more. Regarding citizenship and migration, the Act makes a number of significant changes to existing law and procedures. Children born … Read More

Justice and Home Affairs Council agrees approach on two new asylum and migration regulations

  On 8 June 2023, the Justice and Home Affairs Council agreed a general approach on the asylum and migration management regulation (AMMR) and the asylum procedure regulation (APR). Negotiations with the European Parliament can now begin with adoption of the regulations possible in 2024. If adopted, the asylum and migration management regulation would replace the existing Dublin regulation, which … Read More

Summary results from Census 2022 on migration and integration

  On 30 May 2023, The Central Statistics Office released summary results from 2022 Census which includes details of population changes since Census 2016, as well as data on longer term trends. The summary results also share information on the population’s age and sex, marital status, citizenship, employment, and more. Below are excerpts from the summary results with a focus … Read More

UNHCR publishes report on Statelessness in Ireland

On Tuesday 23 May, United Nations Human Rights Commission in Ireland published a report “Mapping Statelessness in Ireland.” This report builds on a 2014 scoping study with updated information on legislation, policy, and practice. The report also includes recommendations for improving compliance with the 1960 and 1954 Conventions on Statelessness which Ireland has ratified. Stateless people do not have the … Read More