€1.1m spent on deportations of 170 people in 2025

Gordon Deegan

The combined deportation costs to the State of three charter flights and the deportation of failed International Protection (IP) applicants on commercial aircraft totals €1.1 million to date in 2025.

New figures provided by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, show that €1.1 million has been spent on deporting 170 persons to date this year.

The 170 enforced deportations by the State to date this year compares to 160 for the 12 months of 2024.

Of the 106 people removed by charter flight, 84 were held in custody immediately prior to the flight.

In a series of written Dáil replies, Mr O’Callaghan has also stated that any children removed have been returned as part of family units and that children and their mothers were not detained in advance of their removal.

In a written Dáil reply to Aidan Farrelly TD (SocDem), Mr O’Callaghan revealed that the cost of three charter flights deporting asylum seekers total €530,942.

This was made up of a return flight to Nigerian earlier this month costing €324,714, a one way flight to Georgia in May costing €103,751 and a €102,476 one way flight to Georgia in February.

Mr O’Callaghan said that in addition costs for the provision of supporting charter flight services such as ground handling services, on-board paramedics and a flight manager have been €46,352 so far in 2025.

Charter flight services are provided by Air Partner Ltd under a State contract entered into in November 2024.

Minister O’Callaghan stated that “the potential value of this contract is €5m over the lifespan of the contract”.

He said: “The term of the contract is three years with a possibility to extend it twice by one year, a potential lifespan of five years in total. The total expenditure under the contract with Air Partner will be based on the number of charter flights provided, the frequency of which will be determined by the operational needs of the State.”

Along with the €530,942 spent on charter flights, the State has spent another €527,003 on enforced deportations through commercial flights.

Under the heading of Deportation and Removal Costs, Minister O’Callaghan revealed that 54 persons have been removed through the enforcement of Deportation Orders and 10 on ‘other removals enforced on commercial flights’.

Minister O’Callaghan said: “My Department has taken action to significantly improve immigration enforcement measures and increase removals. The number of deportation orders signed in 2024 of 2,403 increased by 180% compared to 857 in 2023.

He said: “This year 1,940 deportation orders have been signed up to June 6th 2025.”

Minister O’Callaghan said: “Last year, 1,116 people departed from the State under various mechanisms (i.e. enforced deportation, voluntary return etc.), an increase of 252 per cent compared to the 2023 total of 317.

This year 893 persons have had their departure confirmed through these pathways up to June 6th 2025.”

Of the 35 people removed by charter flight to Nigeria on June 4th, 21 were adult male, nine were adult female and five were children who travelled as part of two family units.

Mr O’Callaghan told Deputy Farrelly: “I recognise that an enforced removal is an unfortunate and challenging experience for a child, which is why they are carried out only as a measure of last resort when the family concerned has not removed themselves from the State.

He said: "The preferred option is to return people voluntarily and my Department operates a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order."