IRELAND has deported 33 convicted criminals on a chartered flight to Poland and Lithuania.
The operation, undertaken on January 25, saw 31 men and two women placed on the flight from Dublin which stopped in Poland before arriving in Lithuania.
Within the group were 17 Polish nationals and 16 Lithuanians who all “have a criminal history in Ireland and have been convicted before the courts and received custodial sentences for their crimes” Gardaí confirmed in a statement made this week.
“Twenty individuals had been currently serving prison sentences and were removed directly from Irish Prison Service custody,” they explained.
“The other thirteen individuals have been arrested and detained from communities across Ireland and were lodged in Prison prior to their removal.”
Garda personnel were also aboard the flight along with medical staff, two interpreters and a human rights observer.
The flight departed Dublin Airport at 12.30pm on January 25 and arrived in Warsaw, Poland before it then travelled to Vilnius, Lithuania.
The costs for the return flight totalled €122k, Ireland’s Department for Justice has since confirmed.
“The right to freedom of movement is among the most fundamental rights and freedoms provided to European citizens that we strive to protect,” Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said.
“Securing this right for our citizens is one of the most important achievements of the European Union, offering people the opportunity to work, study and live in 31 countries, and assuring their protections to do so,” he added.
“Restricting the right to freedom of movement is not a measure I take lightly, but there must be consequences if a person’s behaviour means they should no longer be entitled to access this privilege,” Minister O’Callaghan explained.
“I will take action if our laws are not upheld and this includes enforcing removal orders for individuals who are a danger to society and to the people of Ireland.
“It is important to remember that the majority of Polish and Lithuanian nationals’ resident in Ireland respect our laws and contribute positively to society.
“I would like to extend my thanks to members of An Garda Síochána and officials from my department for their continued hard work on conducting these removal operations.”