An international protection process that is fair, timely, and humane is not only achievable, but also essential
The central message from the Roundtable on Migrations in Our Common Home’s latest policy brief is an international protection process that is fair, timely and humane is not only achievable, but also essential. Ireland’s international protection system is at a critical juncture. The country’s decision to opt into the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum commits it to substantial legal and operational changes within the next year. This period of transition offers not just obligations, but an opportunity: to build a protection process that is not only procedurally efficient, but firmly rooted in human rights, dignity, and the rule of law.
The report finds that Ireland’s current system exhibits critical strengths; legal structures grounded in the International Protection Act 2015 and access to appeals through the International Protection Appeals Tribunal. However, these strengths are undermined by persistent systemic weaknesses such as long processing delays, inconsistent legal access, substandard accommodation, and a lack of trauma-informed and vulnerability-sensitive care. The challenges are exacerbated by public misinformation, political pressure, and an ongoing housing crisis that pre-dates the increases in applications for protection and has pushed parts of the reception system to collapse.
Key challenges identified in the report are:
Gaps in procedural fairness and legal safeguards including gaps in legal guidance, inconsistent interpretation services, and uncertain timelines undermine applicants’ ability to understand and exercise their rights.
Data privacy, digitalisation and fairness. While digital reforms and expanded biometric data aim to improve efficiency, gaps in accessibility, consent, and oversight risk digitally excluding vulnerable applicants.
Reception conditions and accommodation: The new tiered reception model under the National Implementation Plan (NIP) links accommodation to procedural categories creating unequal access to housing, services and dignity. Overcrowding, poor hygiene, and movement restrictions further threaten dignity and wellbeing.
Administrative delays, bureaucratic backlogs and quality: Persistent backlogs in the International Protection System combined with inadequate staffing lead to lengthy waiting periods and inconsistent outcomes.
Vulnerability assessments and trauma-informed care: Inconsistent application of vulnerability screening, limited access to mental health supports, and lack of safeguards compromise protection for those most at risk.
Integration and transition post-status: Delays in accessing housing, education, and employment, combined with weak post-recognition supports, hinder peoples’ ability to rebuild their lives and fully participate in Irish society.
To address these challenges the report offers detailed, evidence-based recommendations, ranging from immediate procedural reforms like expanding legal aid and interpreter training to structural changes, such as the development of transition pathways to support successful applicants to integrate. These proposals are grounded in Ireland’s current legal context and align with EU Pact obligations.
Policy recommendations include:
- Ensure access to legal support at all stages
- Professionalise frontline support through mandatory training and accreditation
- Create transparent, accessible case management systems
- Guarantee safe, dignified, and appropriate reception conditions
- Ensure fair and accessible appeals procedures
- Promote interdepartmental coordination and policy coherence
- Strengthen post-status integration supports
The report concludes that a protection process that is fair, timely, and humane protects vulnerable individuals, ensures compliance with Ireland’s domestic and international obligations, and maintains public confidence in migration governance. It is both legitimate and necessary for the State to maintain control over its borders and to implement effective and lawful return procedures for those whose claims are ultimately unsuccessful. These procedures must always be humane and person-centred in their operation, recognising that a person who has been denied a leave to remain is not a criminal to be deported, but a person to be properly assisted and treated with dignity as arrangements are made for their exit from the state.
The path forward requires political will, interdepartmental coordination, and sustainable investment in the institutions and people who make the system work. It also demands that policy decisions be driven not by reactive politics or misinformation, but by law, evidence, and a commitment to treating every person who seeks protection with the dignity they deserve. Implementation of the EU Migration and Asylum Pact has begun. Ireland must now make deliberate choices. It can merely comply, or it can lead. A fair and rights-based international protection system is not just possible, it is essential to Ireland’s values, identity, and international obligations.