Only one order signed to return asylum seeker to UK, despite Government claims

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan confirmed just one order has been issued, despite repeated suggestions that most applicants in Dublin arrived via the UK

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan said before Britain left the EU, 'the UK was the primary destination country for people transferred from Ireland' under European regulations. Picture: PA

Just one order has been signed to return an asylum seeker to the UK, justice minister Jim O'Callaghan has confirmed.

This is despite repeated suggestions from the Government that up to 90% of those seeking asylum in Dublin are travelling to the International Protection Office from the UK via Northern Ireland.

In response to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin’s justice spokesman Matt Carthy, Mr O’Callaghan said before Britain left the EU, “the UK was the primary destination country for people transferred from Ireland” under European regulations.

A new arrangement for reciprocal returns was put in place following Brexit.

Following an increase in asylum seekers from the UK because of former prime minister Rishi Sunak’s so-called Rwanda Act, Ireland moved to designate the UK a “safe country for returns”. However, this was deemed to be unlawful by the courts.

Mr O’Callaghan later redesignated the UK a safe country in March 2025.

“As no return orders were issued during the covid pandemic and due to the litigation challenges outlined above, only one return order has been signed for a UK inadmissible applicant during this recent period,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

Mr Carthy told the Irish Examiner that Mr O’Callaghan had failed to put a bilateral agreement in place for returns with the UK, and “put the department’s efforts into the EU migration pact that we didn’t need to sign up to”.

“In the absence of a bilateral agreement with Britain, I don’t believe that the designation of Britain as a safe third country under the International Protection Act will achieve any increase in returns,” he said.

“Despite the fact that this is absolutely necessary given the Common Travel Area, the minister has been very dismissive of the benefit of putting such a returns agreement in place.”

A total of 4,139 people sought asylum in Ireland up to the end of April this year.