THIRTY TWO people, including three women and one child, were deported to the Georgian capital city of Tbilisi last night after the Government chartered a flight out of the country.
It is understood that the State signed a contract late last year for the provision of charter flights for deportations, and last night’s operation is the first physical manifestation of that action.
Posting on X, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan announced that the flight left Dublin Airport “with 32 people [onboard] who had previously received deportation orders”. He also said that the Government had been informed about the flight’s ‘safe landing’ back in the country.
The Gardaí confirmed that 28 men, three women and one child were onboard the flight, and that the child was part of a family dynamic comprising father, mother and child.
The deportees were assisted by members of the Garda Síochána on the flight, as well as by medical staff, a translator and a human rights observer to ensure that there were no allegations of official misconduct.
Minister O’Callaghan further clarified the operation on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme, saying that the 32 deportees had already been served a writ of deportation and that last night’s operation was simply a culmination of that order.
He said: “If you’re seeking asylum and you’re not entitled to asylum, don’t come to Ireland.
“When a person’s application for International Protection is refused or they are found to have no permission to be in the State, they are offered assistance to return home voluntarily.
“However, when this option is not availed of, they are liable to be deported by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.”
It is thought that last year alone, 2,403 deportation orders were signed marking an increase of 180% compared to the previous year. Department of Justice statistics show that 1,116 people left the State in 2024 as a result of both enforced deportation and voluntary return.