The Government is set to expand its list of ‘safe countries’ by adding Brazil, Egypt, India, Malawi, and Morocco. This decision will be discussed and likely approved by the Cabinet later on Tuesday, following a proposal by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.
Starting Wednesday, international protection applications from these five countries will be processed more quickly, thanks to an extensive review by the Department of Justice. The aim is to expedite applications from these countries, making the process faster than for applications from other nations.
Currently, the list of safe countries includes Albania, Algeria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and South Africa. Since accelerated processing was introduced in November 2022, applications from these countries have dropped by over 50%.
For instance, after Botswana and Algeria were added earlier this year, applications from these countries fell by 71%. Applications from Nigeria also fell by 47% after it was included in the accelerated process.
Being designated as a safe country of origin means that while applicants from these countries can still make protection claims, they must prove why their case is exceptional and why they are in need of protection. Minister McEntee plans to continue reviewing and possibly adding more countries to the safe list or expanding the categories for accelerated processing.