More than 30 people have been deported to Georgia on a chartered flight, the Minister for Justice has confirmed, warning those not entitled to asylum: “don’t come to Ireland”.
The 32 Georgian nationals had previously received deportation orders and were transported by chartered flight from Dublin to Tbilisi on Thursday night at a cost of €102,476.
The group comprised 28 men, three women, and one child, who was removed with its mother and father.
The returnees were accompanied on the flight by Garda personnel, medical staff, an interpreter and a human rights observer, and the flight landed on Friday morning. The operation was carried out by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
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Jim O’Callaghan said the returnees are “back safely in Georgia”, adding the operation was a “significant start” towards a “more effective immigration system”.
It is the first deportation operation carried out under a contract signed by the State last November for the provision of charter aircraft, with the department saying the services have “significantly increased” the capacity of An Garda Síochána to effect removals.
Mr O’Callaghan said it is “a central priority” for him and the Government that immigration laws are robust and enforced.
“I don’t derive any enjoyment in this, but it is a part of my function as Minister for Justice that we have an effective immigration system and if people have been served with deportation orders, they must leave the country and if they don’t do it voluntarily, we will enforce it,” he said.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, he said: “If you’re seeking asylum and you’re not entitled to asylum, don’t come to Ireland.”
Noting that Georgia has been designated as a safe country for several years, Mr O’Callaghan said there is a need to reduce pressure on accommodation for international protection applicants by informing those from safe countries such as Georgia that they will likely be refused asylum.
Some 18,500 people applied for asylum in Ireland last year, and although a “highly changeable situation”, Mr O’Callaghan said applications are “down pretty significantly on what they were last year”.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: “This was the largest removal operation carried out by GNIB in over six years. An Garda Síochána continues to play its role in enforcing immigration legislation and maintaining the security and integrity of our borders. I want to express my thanks to all the members of An Garda Síochána involved in the planning and implementation of this significant operation, particularly those involved in tracking down and finding these individuals.”
The department said charter flights provide an alternative to commercial flights and can be more appropriate in circumstances when a group of individuals are being removed to the same destination.
It said enforced removals are carried out as “a measure of last resort” when the person concerned has not removed themselves from the State or availed of “assisted voluntary return measures”.
The department added that it considers voluntary return to be the preferred option for applicants refused international protection, involving the person leaving of their own accord.
If someone leaves voluntarily, no deportation order is issued. In 2024, the number of voluntary returns increased to 934 compared with 213 in 2023.
“People are entitled to have confidence in our immigration system and there must be consequences for individuals who refuse to leave the State when they are ordered to do so,” the Minister said.
“We have a rules-based system for international protection applicants. For rules to have meaning, they must be enforced.
“Today is a significant start in ensuring that deportation orders are enforced and part of a more effective immigration system generally. There will be further flights scheduled in the future,” Mr O’Callaghan said.
Meanwhile, 2,403 deportation orders were signed in 2024 – representing a 180 per cent year-on-year increase.
In 2024, 1,116 people departed the State under various mechanisms including voluntary return and enforced deportation.
This year more than 700 deportation orders have been signed and more than 240 people have departed. – additional reporting: PA
