Asylum delays have reached crisis point, says Refugee Council

“If somebody claims asylum in Ireland today and their case is not prioritised, they won’t actually be interviewed until the middle of 2019.”

The Irish Refugee Council says waiting times for decisions on asylum applications have reached a crisis point.

It says hundreds of applications are backlogged since new legislation was introduced at the start of the year.

CEO Nick Henderson says the delays are so bad they could violate EU law.

“If somebody claims asylum in Ireland, say, for example, today and their case is not prioritised, they won’t actually be interviewed until the middle of 2019,” said Henderson.

“They would be waiting for at least 20 months.”