Deportation flights to expand to more countries, justice minister confirms

Ireland is in talks with several governments to increase deportation flights beyond Georgia amid rising asylum rejections

Justice minister Jim O'Callaghan was speaking after the second charter flight to Georgia deported 39 people last week. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

Deportation flights from Ireland will fly to additional countries in the future, the Justice Minister has confirmed.

Jim O'Callaghan was speaking after the second charter flight to Georgia deported 39 people last week.

Georgia has been the chosen destination of the first two flights due to the "very high" number of individuals continuing to apply for asylum from Georgia and being refused, Mr O'Callaghan said.

The Government is in the process of obtaining agreements from a number of other countries to accept the return of their citizens from Ireland.

Speaking on RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, Mr O'Callaghan said that there are plans for future flights to other countries but for operational reasons he would not be providing any information on where these flights will go.

"We are in negotiations with lots of countries. Most countries are very receptive to approaches from the Irish Government," said Mr O'Callaghan.

"They want to comply with their international obligations, and many of them will be happy to receive back persons who are in Ireland unlawfully and are originally from those countries."

People Before Profit–Solidarity TD Paul Murphy called the chartered flights "expensive, performative cruelty" used to try and send a message that the Government is being tough on immigration.

Mr Murphy accused the Government of making a media spectacle of the deportations in an act of "vice signalling."

The deportation of 30 men, four women and five children to Georgia last week will not make any Irish person’s life better, he said.

People remaining in the country after their application has been refused is not a major problem, Mr Murphy said, adding that less than 1% of IPAS residents are subject to an active deportation order.

The Minister denied that the use of chartered flights to deport individuals is about more than sending a message.

There has to be a consequence when an application has been refused, and while the preferred option is to have people return voluntarily, this is not always the case.

"If there is not a consequence, it is going to mean that the system is pointless because whether you get [asylum] or not, you are staying," said Mr O'Callaghan.

To date this year, 652 people have been repatriated, including 71 who were subject to enforced deportation.