Record €473,000 Spent to Deport 24 Pakistani Nationals from Ireland
Dublin: The Irish government has spent a record €473,000 on a chartered deportation flight carrying 24 Pakistani nationals found to be residing illegally in the country. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan confirmed the figures in response to a parliamentary question from Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon, marking the most expensive deportation operation in the state’s history.
The flight to Pakistan departed on September 23, with an average cost of €20,000 per person. This figure excludes additional expenses for ground handling, in-flight paramedics, and flight management services, meaning the total cost is likely higher.
This was the fourth chartered deportation flight organised by the Department of Justice in 2025. Previous operations included two flights to Georgia and one to Nigeria, costing a combined €530,941. In total, 130 people have been deported via chartered flights this year.
- The first flight to Georgia repatriated 32 people at a cost of €102,476 (€3,302 per person).
- The second flight to Georgia in May carried 39 people, costing €103,751 (€2,660 per person).
- A June flight to Nigeria deported 35 people, including five children, at a total cost of €324,714 (€9,278 per person).
The latest Pakistan operation, however, far surpasses these figures, setting a new record for deportation spending.
Officials acknowledge that the timing is complex, as Pakistan faces growing instability amid conflict with the Taliban regime in Afghanistan, prompting an exodus of refugees seeking asylum abroad. Government sources privately expressed concern over the effectiveness and humanitarian implications of deportations under such conditions, though they maintain that enforcement of immigration law remains necessary.
According to Department of Justice data, 3,035 deportation orders have been signed so far in 2025, compared with 2,403 in 2024 and 857 in 2023.
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