New migration rules are in force, but how will they work?

Updated / Friday, In April, the International Protection Act, which gives effect to the pact, was passed into law & Religion Correspondent The EU Migration and Asylum Pact was agreed in 2020 as a result of the refugee crisis of 2015 and 2016. Since then, Ireland and the wider EU has seen a rise in people seeking asylum, following the lifting of Covid-19 travel restrictions. In April, the International Protection Act, which gives effect to the pact, was passed into law . There is now a series of new EU regulations that Ireland has opted into and needs to comply with. Those rules take effect from today. Under the 2026 act, asylum seekers will undergo screening at Citywest. A new system has been piloted for 10 months under a transition project, which received 2,272 applications. This generated enough "data and learning", according to the Department of Justice, to deliver. During the screening process, applicants undergo security, identity, health, and vulnerability checks. Those arriving at Irish ports, airports or at international protection application offices claiming asylum are subject to initial security and identity checks and registered on the Eurodac system. Children from the age of six and adults are fingerprinted, photos taken, documents sought, and questions asked regarding travel to Ireland. Screening management is the responsibility of the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, and the process should take seven days or less. The screening centre has staff from asylum processing, appeals, returns, reception, An Garda Síochána, Health Service Executive, Department of Social Protection, Legal Aid Board (LAB), and other agencies co-located and engaging with applicants onsite. Those seeking asylum undergo a health assessment to identify any serious diseases or needs. A preliminary vulnerability assessment identifies particular needs when it comes to accommodation/reception and engaging with the asylum process. Preliminary health assessments are led , and vulnerability assessments are led 's International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS). A total of 411 applicants identifying as minors applied for international protection at Citywest during the duration of the transition project. For the new system to bed in, it is understood that there will be two parallel processes for a time, as the old international protection system peters out. On a practical level, the aim of the new system is to speed up the processing of asylum cases across the EU. Decisions on standard cases will be made within six months, three months for accelerated cases, and 12 weeks for border procedures (including appeals and return decisions).