The Government has been deporting illegal immigrants at a rate of almost two a day since the start of the year, new figures show.
Information in a written response to a parliamentary question shows that 79 immigrants were deported up to February 11th, 42 days into the year. The expenditure of €64,716 on these deportations follows the expenditure of €1.82 million on 521 deportations last year.
In addition, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell said immigration officers refused leave to land to 4,417 people last year.
Mr McDowell said most of the "removals" were in respect of people refused refugee status in the State. However, the figures also referred to individuals whose applications for asylum had been transferred to other EU states.
The data show more immigrants were deported in 2002 than in other years. There were 365 deportations in 2001, costing €1.17 million, and 187 the previous year, which cost €431,455. Six deportations in 1999 cost €27,348.
Mr McDowell said the expenditure last year included the cost of chartering three aircraft because commercial airlines refused to carry certain deportees "following earlier disruptive behaviour by them on board regular flights".
Planes to Nigeria were chartered in November and March and a plane to Algeria was chartered in January 2002.There were no charters in earlier years and none to date in 2003, Mr McDowell said.
