State paid €50,000 to deport one man

TAXPAYERS forked out €50,000 to return one illegal immigrant back to Gambia, Justice Minister Michael McDowell told the Dáil yesterday.

That was the most expensive deportation out of 723 since January 2002. Overall, the deportations have cost the State a total of €3,150,073. The 23 charter flights came in at an average of €136,000 each.

The most expensive deportations were to Nigeria, with a flight returning 35 people in March 2005 costing €265,000 — or €7,500 each. The removal of 13 Nigerians earlier this year worked out at more than €19,000 per person.