A total of 35 individuals, including children, were deported to Nigeria on Wednesday aboard a chartered flight that departed from Dublin Airport to address immigration cases. The operation was carried out by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), comprising twenty-one (21) men, nine (9) women, and five (5) children. According to immigration officials, the children were part of family units and were removed alongside their adult relatives.
In a statement, the Garda Síochána said it “continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy,” noting that such deportation operations are part of its mandate to enforce Irish immigration law.
The deportation marks one of the larger single-day removals in recent months as Ireland continues to effect ineligible individuals. In May, another 39 individuals were removed to Tbilisi under the same arrangement.
This latest deportation follows the resumption of charter flights from Ireland earlier this year. In February, 32 people were deported to Georgia at €102,476, marking the first deportation carried out under a new government contract for the use of charter aircraft. That contract, signed in November 2024, was designed to expand the State’s capacity to enforce deportation orders.
At the time of the February deportations, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan had commented on the government’s approach, stating: “If you’re seeking asylum and you’re not entitled to asylum, don’t come to Ireland.”
The Department of Justice has said that the availability of charter services has “significantly increased” the ability of An Garda Síochána to carry out removals where individuals are deemed to have no legal basis to remain in the State.