Ireland has positive bilateral relations with both Albania and Georgia. While we do not have a resident Embassy in Albania or Georgia, we are represented via secondary accreditation from Ireland's Embassies in Athens and Sofia respectively and maintain ongoing dialogue with the Albanian and Georgian authorities.
In respect of the numbers of international protection claims made Georgian citizens in Ireland, Department of Foreign Affairs Officials have raised this matter on multiple occasions in discussions on bilateral issues with relevant government interlocutors, including at Ministerial level.
In respect of Albania, applications for asylum from Albanian nationals between 2020 and 2022 amounted to 328, in comparison to 3089 applications from Georgian nationals over the same period. In the January to June 2023 period, 84 applications from Albanian nationals were received, in comparison to 1181 applications from Georgian nationals. There have been no recent discussions specifically related to international protection claims with the Albanian authorities.
The Department of Foreign Affairs maintains regular dialogue with the Department of Justice on migration and asylum issues.
