Ireland suspends visa-free travel for refugees from 20 European countries
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Ireland is to temporarily suspend visa-free travel for refugees coming into the country from 20 "safe" European countries, it was agreed today.
The Government will suspend the operation of the Council of Europe Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees for a period of 12 months.
However, the visa-free travel arrangements for Ukrainian nationals introduced earlier this year are to remain unaffected.
The Cabinet made the move to tighten immigration rules amid the ongoing accommodation shortage for refugees.
Government sources said the move was driven by “patterns” of people who had applied for international protection in other countries arriving here in large numbers.
While they insisted Ireland wants to honour its obligations, they said these patterns were of sufficient concern that they were placing Ireland’s system under undue pressure.
“We want to do the right thing but we had noticed patterns emerging which needed addressing. It is about tightening up to ensure those who need our help most get it,” a senior government source said.
It is understood that the matter was raised at the Cabinet sub committee meeting last Thursday and was finalised over the weekend.
The Government said it agreed to the temporary suspension of visa-free entry to Ireland “to protect the integrity of the immigration and International Protection System”.
Minister McEntee said the decision was not “taken lightly” by the Government, saying: “We are committed to upholding our international and EU obligations towards asylum seekers (international protection applicants) and refugees”.
However, Ms McEntee said that “where there is evidence that there may be abuse of such systems, the Government must act swiftly to mitigate the risks to maintain the integrity of our immigration and international protection systems and uphold public confidence in those systems”.
She added that the visa exemption “is being exploited” by those who have already sought international protection from other countries.
The suspension, which comes into place on July 19, is set to be reviewed in a year’s time, and convention travel document holders who want to travel to Ireland can apply for a visa under standard visa arrangements.
Signatory countries to this agreement issue Convention Travel Documents to refugees, which allow the holders of such documents to travel to other signatory countries without a visa or prior clearance if the purpose of the journey is solely for a visit of a maximum of three months.
The visa exemption applies to holders of a Convention Travel Document issued by Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, or Switzerland.
From January 2021 to January 2022, the IPO received 760 notifications on the basis that the person was a beneficiary of international protection in another State.
Of those 760, 479 came from EU Member States whose beneficiaries of international protection are visa exempted.
Minister Coveney said: “Ireland’s commitment to protecting and assisting those in need, especially those fleeing the unjust and illegal war being waged by Russia against Ukraine, remains steadfast.
Mr Coveney added that the move “will assist in the protection of Ukrainians, and those of other nationalities, who are fleeing conflict, as it will lessen the incidence of abuse of this system”.