Dublin: A total of 52 people were deported from Ireland to Georgia on a single chartered flight last month, at a cost of approximately €190,000, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has confirmed.
The operation involved a significant security and support presence, with 119 members of An Garda Síochána, along with a translator, a human rights monitor, a doctor and a paramedic accompanying the flight. In total, 190 Garda personnel were deployed as part of the operation.
Among those deported were four families who had been living in Ireland unlawfully for up to two years and eight months. The group also included three mothers travelling alone with their children—two with two children each and one with three children. Overall, the passengers comprised 35 men, 10 women, two girls and five boys.
The minister stated that 41 of the 52 individuals had been held in custody prior to deportation, in line with legislation allowing detention for up to eight weeks to ensure the effective execution of deportation orders. He emphasised that no children were detained.
Some individuals on the flight had sought to have their deportation orders revoked, but these applications could not be considered under existing legal provisions. All children on board were travelling with their parents, a fact verified by the independent human rights monitor.
Minister O’Callaghan noted that Ireland was among the fastest EU countries to implement strengthened immigration controls last year. However, official documents indicate that no formal cost analysis of chartered deportation flights has been undertaken, raising concerns that the overall cost of deportations may continue to rise.
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