S.I. No. 255/2026 - International Protection Act 2026 (Safe Countries of Origin) Order 2026

1. (1) This Order may be cited as the International Protection Act 2026 (Safe Countries of Origin) Order 2026.

(2) This Order comes into operation on 12

th

June 2026.

2. The countries specified in the Schedule to this Order are each designated as a safe country of origin for the purposes of the International Protection Act 2026 (No. 9 of 2026).

SCHEDULE

Federative Republic of Brazil

People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria

Republic of Botswana

Republic of Malawi

Republic of South Africa

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

11 June, 2026.

JIM O’CALLAGHAN,

Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

This Order lists the countries designated as safe countries of origin for the purposes of processing applications for international protection made by nationals of those countries under the Asylum Procedures Regulation and the International Protection Act 2026.

1 OJ L, 2024/1348, 22.5.2024

2 OJ L, 2026/464, 26.2.2026

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

16

th June,

2026.

I, JIM O’CALLAGHAN, Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by subsection (1) of section 279 of the International Protection Act 2026 (No. 9 of 2026) in accordance with Section V of Chapter III of the Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 establishing a common procedure for international protection in the Union and repealing Directive 2013/32/EU

1

as amended by Regulation (EU) 2026/464 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 February 2026 amending Regulation (EU) 2024/1348 as regards the establishment of a list of safe countries of origin at Union level

2

and being satisfied, in accordance with the said section and in relation to each country specified in the Schedule to the following Order, as to the matters specified in subsection (3) of the said section, hereby order as follows