(IRELAND) — Ireland rejected about 90% of asylum claims processed under a fast-track asylum pilot for applicants considered likely to have low chances of recognition, as the country permanently adopts the accelerated procedure under the EU Migration and Asylum Pact.

The pilot covered applicants from countries deemed “safe” and people who had already made an asylum claim in another European Union member state. About one quarter of those refused later received deportation orders.

A total of 84 people had either been deported or left Ireland voluntarily after receiving decisions under the scheme.

Ireland’s Department of Justice described the trial as “very encouraging,” saying the process reduced decision times and lowered costs. The department introduced the pilot as a way to handle certain claims under a fixed timetable.

Applicants covered by the accelerated procedure were due to receive a decision on both their asylum claim and any appeal within 12 weeks. The criteria included coming from a safe country of origin or having previously lodged an asylum claim in another EU member state.

The process applied to people whose claims fell within categories considered suitable for faster decisions. The 90% rejection rate covered claims processed during the trial, while the deportation orders followed decisions that refused asylum.

Ireland began using the EU Pact transition process in summer 2025, initially applying it to applicants from Brazil, Georgia and India. Authorities later expanded the process to applicants from 12 other countries before the permanent rollout.

The EU Migration and Asylum Pact entered into application on June 12, 2026. Ireland’s permanent accelerated procedure forms part of the country’s implementation of that framework.

Under the pact, applicants from countries with an EU-wide recognition rate below 20% can be placed in accelerated procedures or border procedures. The threshold is based on recognition rates across the European Union rather than on Ireland’s decisions alone.

Border procedures provide another route for handling claims covered by the pact’s rules. The framework permits countries to process eligible applicants through a faster system while preserving an appeal stage within the 12-week timetable used in Ireland’s pilot.

Ireland’s trial therefore combined a restricted applicant pool with a deadline covering the full decision process. Claims from safe countries and repeat applicants formed the central categories, while the subsequent deportation figures recorded how many refused applicants left through removal or voluntary departure.

The Department of Justice’s assessment linked the procedure to faster decisions and lower costs. Its “very encouraging” description came as Ireland moved from a temporary trial to a permanent system under the EU pact.

The figures also show the distance between an asylum refusal and a person’s departure. About one quarter of refused applicants received deportation orders, while 84 people had been deported or had left voluntarily after decisions under the scheme.