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Ireland has deported 35 Nigerian nationals for breaching immigration laws, according to a statement from the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).
The deportation took place via a chartered flight that departed Dublin Airport on the night of June 4, 2025. Among those deported were five children and nine women, with authorities confirming that the children were part of family units.
“This is the third charter operation this year,” the GNIB stated. “All individuals were removed on a chartered flight, with all 35 returnees arriving safely in Nigeria this morning.”
Chartered deportation flights have been operating in Ireland since February 2025, and this recent flight marks the first such operation to Africa this year. Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, underscored the government’s commitment to maintaining a rules-based immigration system, emphasizing that deportations are crucial to upholding the integrity of immigration processes.
“Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced,” O’Callaghan said. “The return of people whose applications have been refused and who have received deportation orders is the foundation of any modern immigration system.” He added that while Ireland welcomes legal migrants, individuals who have exhausted all legal avenues for asylum or residency must leave the country.
“People coming to Ireland must follow the appropriate pathways for legal migration. If a person’s application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State, they must comply,” he stressed.
O’Callaghan also noted that the charter flight made an unscheduled stop due to a medical incident onboard but subsequently resumed its journey without further issues.
The Irish government maintains that these deportation operations act as a deterrent against unlawful stays and demonstrate the country’s commitment to a fair and regulated immigration system.
