Ireland: Time Under Temporary Protection Until 12.06.2026 Will Not Count Towards Naturalization
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has stated that time under temporary protection will not be counted towards naturalization. A bill, supposedly until June 12, 2026, will exclude this period, which has sparked protest from Ukrainians. They consider this unfair, as they deliberately did not apply for intern
Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan has stated that time spent in Ireland under temporary protection will not be counted for the purposes of naturalization, as temporary protection permits are of a transitional nature. This statement followed a request from Deputy Eamon Scanlon regarding a petition proposing that years spent in Ireland under temporary protection be considered when fulfilling the residency requirement for naturalization.
The Minister plans to implement a bill excluding time under temporary protection from being counted towards naturalization, supposedly until June 12, 2026. Ukrainians are urged to contact their deputies and senators to express their protest against this injustice.
The main argument of Ukrainians is that they deliberately did not apply for international protection in order not to overload the migration system of Ireland. Refusing to take into account the time spent under temporary protection for citizenship looks like a punishment for a "conscientious choice".
Ukrainians, having chosen temporary protection instead of international, saved the system from tens of thousands of individual interviews, legal consultations and courts, saving millions of euros. Changing the rules "in the middle of the game" undermines confidence in the state.