Our Purpose

We provide vital services and support to people seeking protection and those recognised as refugees in Ireland. We advocate for humane, dignified protection procedures and work with individuals who have fled persecution — including torture, threats to life, or violence due to sexual identity, religious beliefs, political stance, gender, or ethnicity.

Our Vision

A world where refugees can access and exercise their rights, live with dignity and agency, and look forward to a future defined by their courage and potential and not their status.

Our Mission

We work with, support and represent refugees, delivering a broad range of services, sharing and learning from best practices, conducting research and undertaking advocacy that defends and strengthens rights, prevents regression and contributes to a stronger, more inclusive Ireland.

Our Strategic Priorities

Driven by Lived Experience

Refugees’ experiences guide our work. Their voices shape our advocacy, services, and governance to create meaningful, sustainable change.

Increased Information Reach, Targeted Casework and Legal Support

In response to rising demand and the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, we are expanding our information and legal services. Our casework focuses on the most vulnerable, ensuring access to rights and monitoring standards.

Improved and Reflective Service Delivery

We adopt a user-focused approach, enabling refugees to navigate and access support quickly while anticipating emerging challenges.

Strengthened Advocacy For Refugee Rights

We lead advocacy efforts with the Irish government, national and international stakeholders, and the public to protect and enhance refugee rights. Key areas include implementing the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum and monitoring its impact.

Empower Our People, Expand Our Resources and Strengthen Our Governance

Our staff, processes, and governance underpin our impact. We focus on organisational development to ensure resilience, sustainability, and effectiveness.

Our Values

People-Centred

We recognise the agency and dignity of al people and are guided by the voices and testimonies of people with lived experience of the protection process.

Rights-Based

International, EU and Irish human rights law frameworks, including, the right to seek international protection and dignified reception conditions are at the core of our work.

Excellence

We aspire to excellence in all aspects of our work and are committed to sharing our knowledge and best practices and to listening to, and learning from others.

Partnership

We partner and collaborate with, and support the broad ecosystem of organisations, activists, communities working with refugee-led organisations and refugees across Ireland and Europe.

Misneach

Misneach is an Irish word meaning courage or spirit. We are relentless and fearless in striving for a better world for refugees and fulfilling our charitable mission.

Our History

Our origins trace back to the Refugees in Crisis conference in Dublin in 1988, organised by Aidlink, an overseas development agency. This conference led to the creation of a working group that eventually established the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) as an umbrella organisation for NGOs and agencies supporting refugees.

The IRC was formally registered in 1992 and obtained charitable status. Since then, it has witnessed major changes in Irish asylum law and policy, from the introduction of the Refugee Applications Commissioner to the International Protection Office and Appeal Tribunal. Although Ireland signed the 1951 Refugee Convention in 1956, the country had no system for those who sought international protection here. The first legislative framework was set out in the Refugee Act 1996 (implemented in 2000). Since its origins, it is dependent primarily upon volunteers and initially the financial support of religious bodies and individuals, it has seen tremendous changes in the asylum process with the introduction of an independent Refugee Applications Commissioner (now the International Protection Office) and a Refugee Appeals Tribunal (now the International Protection Appeal Tribunal).

Despite progress, challenges remain: overcrowding in accommodation, homelessness, and a decline in the right to asylum. Internationally, we face crises in Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan, and the DRC, while Europe increasingly restricts access for people seeking protection. The IRC continues to work tirelessly for refugees and asylum seekers in Ireland.