This resource gives information about the international protection (or ‘asylum’) process in Ireland. We hope it will be a useful source of information and respond to questions about this system. At the end of the document, there are charts and a list of resources that may also be helpful. This document is updated periodically. This update was published 24 January.

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Questions answered include: 

• What do the terms ‘asylum seeker’, ‘international protection applicant’ and ‘refugee’ mean?
• Who is seeking asylum in Ireland and what is the registration process they must undertake? Are people ‘vetted’?
• How does Ireland decide who is a refugee and how long does this process take?
• Why do some people seek protection from ‘safe’ countries such as Georgia, and how does Ireland consider their applications?
• What percentage of applications are successful? How does the Irish protection process compare to other EU states?
• How are asylum seekers accommodated and do asylum seekers get automatic access to housing?
• How are people with status accommodated?
• Do asylum seekers get social welfare?
• Can asylum seekers work in Ireland?
• Why has there been an increase in people seeking asylum in Ireland since 2022?
• Does Ireland take more asylum seekers and refugees than other countries?
• How do Deportation Orders (DO) work?
• Why are refugees still coming from Ukraine, is Ireland taking more refugees from Ukraine than other countries?
• Does Ireland give more support to refugees from Ukraine than other European countries?