Ireland has unveiled new measures to tighten its immigration and asylum rules, as ministers say rapid population growth and rising numbers of asylum seekers are placing heavy pressure on housing and public services.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan announced the reforms on Wednesday, saying the government needed a response to what he called a “worryingly” high rate of population increase and a surge in asylum applications.

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“Our population last year increased by 1.6 percent, seven times the EU average,” O’Callaghan said. “It is positive that it’s increasing, but the rate is a worry.”

Ireland’s population reached an estimated 5.46 million in April 2025.

Net migration has nearly doubled since 2022, averaging about 72,000 a year, fuelled partly by work-permit applications, family reunifications and the arrival of Ukrainian refugees, according to the Ministry of Finance.

Asylum claims have also jumped dramatically. Some 18,651 people sought protection in 2024 – the highest on record – up from 13,276 the previous year.

Tensions over the rising numbers of asylum seekers have fuelled protests and riots in recent years.

Last month, at least 1,000 anti-immigration protesters clashed with police in southwest Dublin following reports that a child had been sexually assaulted on the grounds of a hotel that houses asylum applicants.

Tougher rules

The new measures, approved by the cabinet on Wednesday, represent one of the most significant overhauls of Ireland’s migration system in years.

They include requiring asylum seekers who have jobs to contribute financially to state accommodation costs, higher income thresholds for family reunification, and stricter criteria for citizenship applications for refugees.

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Employed asylum seekers will now be required to contribute 10 to 40 percent of their weekly income towards accommodation costs, affecting about 7,500 people, O’Callaghan said.

Family reunification applicants who wish to bring relatives from outside the European Economic Area must demonstrate they earn at least the median national wage, currently more than 44,000 euros ($50,997), and have appropriate housing.

Meanwhile, citizenship rules for refugees will become more restrictive. The residency requirement will rise from three to five years, and long-term recipients of certain social welfare benefits will be ineligible.

The government will also have the power to revoke a person’s asylum status if they are found to be a “danger to the security of the state” or convicted of a serious crime, said O’Callaghan.

“While these situations are rare, it is important that these powers are provided for in law,” he said.

He added that the government was also considering restrictions on student visas, amid concerns that some education routes are being misused for long-term residency.

The new rules echo sweeping recent asylum law changes in the United Kingdom, where rising concern about immigration levels has fuelled support for the far-right Reform party.

Earlier this week, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said his government needed to consider the impact on migration flows into Ireland of the reforms in the UK.

“There are knock-on effects for us from what others do, that’s the reality we have to be ready for,” he said.

According to O’Callaghan, nearly 90 percent of those who applied for asylum in Ireland arrived across the border from Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK.