Migration minister highlights fall of 39% in people seeking international protection

THERE HAS BEEN a 39% fall in the number of applications for international protection in Ireland since the introduction of the EU Migration Pact, according to junior minister for migration Colm Brophy.

The Fine Gael minister highlighted that the average number of applicants is now standing at 32 per day, down from 53.

The number of applications has been in decline for more than a year from when the number of people applying peaked at 18,553 in 2024.

By midway 2025, the numbers had almost halved compared to 2024, with the overall drop for 2025 coming to 29% compared to the previous year.

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In a statement, Brophy contended that the latest numbers are a “positive sign the Pact is working” and easing the number of people seeking protection in Ireland.

“We are seeing a real reduction in the total number of new applications for international protection since the introduction of the Pact three months ago,” Brophy said.

“In 2025, and from January this year to the 11th of June (start of the Pact), we were receiving an average of 53 applications per day. Since the beginning of the Pact on June 12th to date, we have been receiving an average of 32 applications per day.”

Brophy claimed this meant that the Pact “is functioning well” after being in operation for three months.

The Dublin TD added that the government is currently on track to meet the standardised processing times for decisions. This is six months for a standard procedure, three months for accelerated and border procedures, and two months for inadmissible cases.

“Fine Gael wants to see clarity and consistency in our migration system, and the Migration Pact has been key to that,” Brophy said.