Pakistan is to be added to the list of safe countries by Ireland on Tuesday.
Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan has announced that Pakistan will be added to those countries which undergo accelerated processing for international protection applications.
Under an accelerated decision-making process introduced in November 2022, international protection applicants who fall under this procedure are receiving first decisions in around four months and this is expected to reduce in the coming months.
Safe countries of origin are those where it can be shown that there is generally and consistently no persecution, no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, and no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence.
Applications from Pakistan have grown considerably in recent years and, in each of the last two quarters, Pakistan nationals have ranked as the second-highest nationality for applications for international protection.
Mr O’Callaghan said there has been a 43% reduction in asylum applications this year.
“I am committed to ensuring that the protection system works for those who genuinely need our help.
“One of the ways in which we do this is to prioritise certain applications: for people from safe countries, or from those countries with a large number of applications.
This approach allows us to adapt to the changing patterns of international protection and is a critical element of our firm but fair approach.
“And this approach is working.
“This year, there has been a 43% reduction in application numbers compared to this time last year.”
Several countries have been designated as safe since 2022 including Albania, Algeria, Georgia, and South Africa, while more including Brazil, India, and Egypt were classified as safe during 2024.