Algeria, Botswana to be added to ‘safe countries’ list

Two countries are to be added to Ireland’s list of “safe countries”, under a plan to be brought to Cabinet tomorrow by Minister for Justice Helen McEntee.

It has been confirmed that the countries are Algeria and Botswana.

It means that asylum applicants from there will be subject to “fact processing” and will have their cases considered, and decisions issued within a maximum of 90 days.

Safe countries of origin are countries where it can be shown that that there is generally and consistently no persecution, no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, and no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence.

The eight countries currently on the list, which commenced in November 2022, are Albania, Bosnia and Hercegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and South Africa.

The Department of Integration says the State is currently accommodating 3,110 people from Algeria and 709 people from Botswana.