Reforms in Asylum Process “not a cure-all”

Policy Response DateMay 1, 2012 Country: Ireland General Type: Institutional discrimination, Equality/Integration Racism and discrimination phenomena: Nationalism, Xenophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Migrants, Refugees, Roma & Travelers, Muslims, Ethnic minorities, Majority, Asylum seekers, Africans/black people Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Employment - labour market, Health and social protection, Political discourse -parties - orgs, Political participation, Anti-discrimination, Integration - social cohesion Hate speech/Racist Discourse Medium: Public Discourse, Political Discourse

Presently, "delays from application to decision" forces asylum seekers to persevere in the limbo of the direct provision system. A prohibition from pursuing paid employment has resulted in the applicants' placement in State accommodation entailing “needless costs for the taxpayer” - also partially caused by “costly High Court proceedings”. “[A] single protection procedure and a revised tribunal” are the main reforms in the proposed Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill intending to cut down on delays. However, the Irish Refugee Council (IRC) has argued that the reforms are not "a cure-all". The latest figures released show “a very low acceptance rate for those claiming subsidiary protection and very long delays". A large number of applicants (3,096) has been waiting for a decision for three or more years and a number of 272 has been in the process for over seven years.

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