Last July, the government suspended the Council of Europe Agreement on the Abolition of Visas for Refugees for a 12-month period.
“Where there is evidence that there may be abuse of such systems, the Government must act swiftly to mitigate the risks to maintain the integrity of our immigration and international protection systems and uphold public confidence in those systems,” said Minister McEntee in a statement announcing the suspension last year.
The suspension means people with refugee status now require a visa to travel to Ireland rather than travelling visa-free with their Convention Travel Document.‘Carefully considered’ Speaking today, Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin said the decision has been taken “in the context of unprecedented pressures on our international protection system”.