Over 750 people deported out of State this year as 1,712 deportation orders signed
Gordon Deegan
A total of 759 people have been deported out of Ireland to date this year through various means, including 62 removed by charter aircraft.
That is according to new figures provided by the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, who has confirmed that a total of 1,712 deportation orders have been signed since January 1st to May 8th of this year.
In a written Dáil reply to Fianna Fáil's Erin McGreehan, O’Callaghan confirmed that the 1,712 total for this year compares to 4,700 deportation orders signed for the 12 months of 2025, which was an increase of 96 per cent on 2024.
In turn, the 2,403 deportation orders signed in 2024 increased by 180 per cent compared to the 867 for 2023.
O’Callaghan confirmed that the 759 deported to date this year compares to 2,111 deported through various pathways for the 12 months of 2025.
The 2,111 total for 2025 is almost double the 1,122 deported for 2024.
Providing a breakdown of the 759 deported to date this year, O’Callaghan confirmed that 107 were enforced deportations, 62 ‘removed by charter’, 26 who have left the State following receipt of a deportation order without being escorted; ‘other removals’ of 53, and 511 voluntary returns.
O’Callaghan said it is the case that a significant number of individuals who were subject to deportation orders have left the State without notifying the relevant authorities.
He said: “However, as there are no routine exit checks at Irish borders, it is not possible to definitely provide the number of people who have or have not complied with an order.
“I am, however, informed that the GNIB (Garda National Immigration Bureau) has reviewed a large sample of cases of people subject to deportation orders; their inquiries suggest a very significant number of these individuals have left the State.”
He said that two charter operations to date in 2026 have seen the removal of 96 people from the State, including 33 EU citizens who were removed on grounds of criminality.
In 2025, six charter flight operations removed 205 people from the State, he added.
“Of these, five operations to non-EU destinations removed 182 people who were subject to deportation orders and one operation removed 23 EU citizens on grounds of criminality," he said.
O’Callaghan stated that it is a central priority for him that Ireland’s immigration system "is robust and rules-based".
He said: “The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure that there is confidence in the application of our legislation in this area.”
