Ireland: 2023 Immigration Plan Actions Published

The immigration plan seeks to improve immigration services, including clearing the backlog for all immigration application types. The department has established a modernization program to make Ireland’s immigration system faster, more accessible and more efficient, intending in the long term for immigration services to be provided digitally on a single online platform. It also seeks to simplify processes and make the immigration system easier to understand.

Key intentions include:

• A roadmap for the continued transition of all immigration services to online processes;
• The restructuring of immigration services to improve customer service while also maintaining the security of the immigration system;
• An emphasis on improving efficiency and effectiveness;
• The elimination of processing backlogs across all immigration application types;
• A move towards timely processing of applications for international protection and towards making the international protection process more efficient;
• A transfer of remaining immigration duties from Garda National Immigration Bureau to the Department of Justice; and
• Ensuring the fairness and efficiency of the Irish immigration system through new strategic policies and legislative proposals.

These are initial intentions and do not have any policy impact at this time.

However, if the plans are implemented, employers hiring foreign nationals in Ireland and employees seeking to enter the Irish labor market can expect improved services, additional use of online platforms, more consistent decisions and increased transparency in the immigration process.

This plan is part of Irish government’s overall strategy goals to promote community safety, modernize the judicial system, improve access to judiciary services, among other goals. These intentions add to improvements already introduced, with the following improvements having been made since the last Justice Plan was published:

• A number of immigration application types are now available in digital format under a single online platform;
• A new online system for the renewal of registration in Dublin, as well as a new system for the booking of registration appointments in Dublin;
• A new website with information provided in the most common languages used by customers to make communication more effective and the information more accessible; and
• Reforms to the international protection process including changes to the application, interview and decision-making processes.

The Department of Justice is expected to publish updates on the progress of the strategy in mid-2023 and again at the end of the year.