IRISH IMMIGRATION OFFICIALS have refused visas for 265 Palestinians since October 2023, when Israel began its war in Gaza in response to attacks on its civilians by Hamas.

Figures from the Department of Justice show that 1,249 visa applications by Palestinians were made between 1 October 2023 and 30 June of this year.

They include 851 applications for short-stay C visas, which allow people to stay in Ireland for up to three months, and 398 applications for longer-term D visas, which allow people to work or settle permanently in Ireland and to apply for a residence permit.

According to the figures, 445 Palestinians have been granted C visas since October 2023 while 208 Palestinians have been refused; and a further 288 Palestinians have been granted D visas during the same time-frame, while 57 Palestinians have been refused.

The issue of visas for Palestinians has made headlines in recent weeks after The Journal reported that visas were refused for dozens of Palestinians from the West Bank who were due to travel to Ireland for a GAA tour this month.

GAA Palestine had plans in place for 47 Palestinians to travel here, including 33 children aged between 9 and 16 years of age.

A total of 152 families in Ireland had signed up to host the group as they were to travel around Ireland.

The figures provided by the Department do not include those for the GAA Palestine group, as they only cover successful applications and refusals up to the end up June.

Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan this week rejected criticism from GAA Palestine regarding his department’s handling of their visa applications, insisting that their applications had been assessed “fairly and accurately”.

“No matter who you are, you have to comply with the immigration rules,” he said. “I’m not going to change those rules simply because there is media pressure put on me.”

Citizens of Palestine are required to have a valid Irish entry visa before they seek to enter the State.

However, a number of Palestinians have also claimed asylum in Ireland in recent years. This week, Cabinet heard that there were 957 international protection applications by Palestinians in 2024, though the figure dropped to just 65 applications in the first six months of 2025.

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