Thirty nine people deported to Georgia, including women and children

Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan said deportation orders were enforced against 39 people, who have been removed from Ireland by charter flight

The Garda National Immigration Bureau said 30 men, four women and five children were deported from Ireland. The children removed are all part of family groups. Picture: Gardaí

Thirty nine people, including women and children, have been deported to Georgia, the justice minister has said.  

Jim O'Callaghan said deportation orders were enforced against 39 people, who have been removed from Ireland by charter flight.

The group includes 30 men, four women and five children. The children removed are all part of family groups. The people concerned were Georgian nationals and the flight left Dublin Airport on Wednesday night and landed in Tbilisi, Georgia, on Thursday morning.

This is the second such operation conducted since charter flights recommenced earlier in the year. On February 27, a flight to Georgia removed 32 people who were subject to deportation orders.

Speaking about the operation, Mr O’Callaghan said: “Stepping up enforcement and securing our borders is a central commitment of mine. Swift and fair returns of people whose applications have been refused is the foundation of any modern rules-based immigration process.

If people wish to move to Ireland, they must do so using the appropriate legal pathways. Removal operations send a clear message that our laws are to be respected and underscores this Government’s intention to protect the integrity of our immigration system.

“I want to thank the members of An Garda Síochána and my officials for their continued work to ensure that if a person is ordered to leave the country, that they do so. There will be further charter operations to ensure a faster and more efficient removal system."

Mr O'Callaghan also said it was "important to note that many members of the Georgian community are legally in the State". 

"They contribute to the economy and the cultural and social fabric of our society. They are welcome here and we thank them for their contribution.” 

The Government uses charter flights when a group of people are being removed to the same destination. These operations are conducted under a contract signed by the State last November.

The Department of Justice said access to these services had "significantly increased the capacity of An Garda Síochána to enforce deportation orders".

It added enforced removals are carried out as" a measure of last resort when the person concerned has not removed themselves from the State or availed of assisted voluntary return measures". 

Mr O'Callaghan said before a deportation order is made, the person "is offered assistance to return home voluntarily, this is the preferred option". 

"In addition to enforced removals, my department is achieving significant increases in the number of people leaving voluntarily and I am asking those who are given this opportunity to avail of it."

So far this year, the department said 1,386 deportation orders had been signed and 647 people had departed the State under various mechanisms — such as enforced deportation or voluntary return.

Voluntary return is an option open to people who have no legal status in Ireland, including those who are refused international protection. Where this option is taken up, a deportation order is not issued in respect of that person.

Last year, 2,403 deportation orders were signed. This saw an increase of 180% compared to 2023.