More than half of Palestinians denied long-term visas – a quarter for other nationalities
Jim O'Callaghan's department refused more than half of Palestinian long-term visa applications decided this year – while denying only a quarter from all other nationalities.
Jim O'Callaghan's department refused more than half of Palestinian long-term visa applications decided this year – while denying only a quarter from all other nationalities.
The unexplained spike in refusals supports opposition claims of a policy change, despite O’Callaghan’s department denying it.
Of the 50 nationalities for which the department publishes full long-term visa statistics, Palestinians have seen the steepest rise in refusals: a more than sixfold increase since last year. Mongolia had the next largest rise, at less than two-and-a-half-fold.
In the first eight months of 2026, the state refused 58.8 percent of Palestinian long-term visa applications, up from 8.9 percent in 2025, while the combined refusal rate for all other nationalities only increased slightly from 22.3 percent to 25.4 percent.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin was urged to intervene this week after the Department of Justice denied Irish visas to dozens of Gazan students who had secured offers to study in Ireland.
Junior justice minister Colm Brophy told the Dáil last month there are no plans to suspend visa-free travel for Israeli citizens after The Ditch reported that his department granted residency to Israelis who served in the Israel Defense Forces during the Gaza genocide.
During a High Court challenge last week against Gaza student visa refusals, justice Garrett Simons said the case was “literally a matter of life and death”.
