Ireland Deports 34 Foreign Nationals Convicted of Criminal Offences

Dublin: Jim O’Callaghan has confirmed that 34 men convicted of various criminal offences were deported from Ireland on a charter flight as part of the government’s immigration enforcement measures.

The deportees included 22 Polish nationals and 12 Lithuanian nationals, aged between 20 and 60. According to the minister, all were removed under the EU Free Movement Directive following convictions for serious criminal offences.

Re-entry bans of up to 10 years have also been imposed to prevent them from returning to Ireland.

“The government’s policy is clear — foreign nationals who commit serious crimes after coming to Ireland will face deportation,” O’Callaghan said. “There is no obligation on society to tolerate criminal behaviour.”

Majority Were Serving Prison Sentences

Of the 34 men deported, 25 were serving prison sentences at the time of removal and were transferred directly by the Irish Prison Service. The remaining nine had been detained for offences including organised crime, drug trafficking, sexual offences, domestic violence, theft and repeated traffic-related offences.

The Department of Justice said the deportation operation cost €184,465 excluding VAT.

The charter flight departed from Dublin Airport and landed first in Warsaw before continuing to Vilnius.

The operation was carried out jointly by An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service, with Garda officers, medical personnel, interpreters and a human rights monitor accompanying those removed.

Minister Warns Against Abuse of Free Movement Rights

O’Callaghan stressed that while EU citizens enjoy freedom of movement across member states, those rights must not be abused.

“European citizens have the right to free movement, but there are consequences for those who refuse to comply with the law,” he said. “This operation sends a clear warning to individuals involved in criminal activity and those who pose a danger to society.”

The minister also noted that the overwhelming majority of Polish and Lithuanian citizens living in Ireland are law-abiding and make valuable contributions to Irish society.

According to the Department of Justice, the latest operation brings the total number of people removed from Ireland under the Free Movement Directive this year to 67, compared to 56 removals during the whole of last year.

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