Forty-five adults and seven children deported from Ireland to Georgia

Justice ministerJim O'Callaghan said the operation 'reinforces my commitment in this area'. Picture: An Garda Síochána/X

Forty-five adults and seven children have been deported from Ireland, the justice minister has confirmed.

Jim O'Callaghan said the 52 Georgian individuals — 35 men, 10 women, and seven children — were removed by charter flight from Dublin on Monday at 9.30pm. The flight landed in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, at 2.30am Irish time on Tuesday morning. The children removed are all part of family groups.

Also on the flight to Tiblisi were gardaí, medical staff, an interpreter, and a human rights observer.

The latest operation brings the total number of people removed by charter flights so far this year to 205. An additional 146 people have been removed from the State on commercial flights.

The Department of Justice said 2025 will see the largest number of people deported from the State via charter and commercial flights for more than two decades.

Department figures show that some 2,403 deportation orders were signed in 2024, an increase of 180% compared to 2023.

This year, 3,877 deportation orders have been signed, as of October 31. A further 1,770 people have departed the State under various mechanisms such as enforced deportation or voluntary return, an option open to people who have no legal status in Ireland, including those who are refused International Protection.

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr O'Callaghan said deportations play "an essential role" in ensuring that the country's immigration system "is not undermined, and that people follow the pathways already in place for legal migration".

"Today’s operation reinforces my commitment in this area," he said.

"I would like to thank members of An Garda Síochána and my officials for their continued work in conducting these complex and sensitive operations."

The children removed as part of the deportations were all part of family groups. Picture: An Garda Síochána/X

Mr O'Callaghan said that the voluntary return programme was "the preferred option" for people who have no legal status, or who have had their international protection application withdrawn or refused.

Migration minister Colm Brophy said that charter operations are used as "a last resort, but are a key aspect of our removals process and play an important part in removing people from the State who do not have a legal right to be here". 

"I would like to highlight that the majority of Georgian people resident in Ireland are doing so legally, having entered the State through the various legal pathways available. They are welcome and contribute immensely to our economy and society," he said.

"Charter flights provide an alternative to commercial flights and can be more appropriate in circumstances when a group of people are being removed to the same destination.”