Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, expressed satisfaction with the successful deportation, stating, “Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced.”
The Republic of Ireland has deported 35 Nigerians, comprising 21 men, nine women and five children, to Nigeria in a chartered flight that departed from Dublin Airport on Wednesday night.
The returnees landed in Nigeria on Thursday.
Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, expressed satisfaction with the successful deportation, stating, “Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced.”
He noted that the deportation proceeded smoothly despite an unscheduled stopover due to a medical incident on board.
The deportation was carried out by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, which works closely with the Department of Justice to implement Ireland’s immigration policy.
According to An Garda Síochána, the operation is part of their role in enforcing Irish immigration law.
The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) seemed unaware of the deportation. “The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission said it was not aware of the deportation of the Nigerians by Ireland on Thursday,” Abdur-Rahman Balogun, NiDCOM spokesperson, told PUNCH.
The recent deportation follows the resumption of charter flights from Ireland earlier this year.
In February, 32 people were deported to Georgia at a cost of €102,476, marking the first deportation under a new government contract for charter aircraft. Another 39 individuals were removed to Tbilisi in May under the same arrangement.
Minister O’Callaghan had previously emphasised the importance of adhering to Ireland’s asylum and immigration processes, stating, “If you’re seeking asylum and you’re not entitled to asylum, don’t come to Ireland”.
The Department of Justice noted 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.
