22 flown home from Australia under voluntary scheme

Twenty-two Irish people have been flown home from Australia under a voluntary repatriation scheme in the past two years, according to Australian authorities.

Figures from the Australian Department of Agriculture shows that, since July 1, 2010, 22 Irish nationals have used the assisted voluntary returns (AVR) programme which can include additional costs such as the bus fare to the airport.

The figure represents 10% of the overall figure of Irish nationals expelled from Australia since the start of 2010, which stands at 224 to the end of June this year.