Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan confirms deportation operation to Pakistan
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Deportation enforcement in 2025 doubles compared to 2024 numbers
Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan has confirmed this morning that a deportation flight to Pakistan departed Dublin Airport yesterday (23 September) with 24 adult males on board.
The deportation orders against 24 Pakistani nationals were enforced using a charter flight.
Charter operations have significantly bolstered the capacity of An Garda Síochána to enforce a greater number of deportation orders and are among the measures Minister Jim O’Callaghan is deploying to increase immigration enforcement and strengthen Ireland’s removal pathways.
This is the fourth operation conducted in 2025 since the recommencement of charter flights for deportations in February.
Speaking on the operation Minister Jim O’Callaghan said:
"This year sustained and significant work has been undertaken to strengthen immigration enforcement and increase the removal of people who have no legal right to be in Ireland. We are seeing the results with a doubling of enforced deportations. 3,029 deportation orders have been issued so far in 2025.
“I want to thank the members of An Garda Síochána and my officials for the significant work in conducting these sensitive and complex operations. This sends a clear message, if a person’s application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State, they must do so. If they choose not to leave voluntarily, they will be forced to leave. We must hold firm on this principle because deportations are an essential part of any immigration system.
“Part of having a rules-based immigration system is that there are consequences when an application is refused and the person does not leave. The vast majority of people coming to Ireland follow the legal pathways, and for our immigration system to work fairly and effectively, we have to protect the integrity of the legal pathways.
“It is important to acknowledge that the vast majority of our Pakistani community are here legally. They continue to be welcome in Ireland and we value their contribution to our economy, culture and society.”
Charter flights are used in addition to commercial flights and can be more appropriate in circumstances where a group of people are being removed to the same destination. These operations are conducted under a contract signed by the State in November 2024 for the provision of charter aircraft.
Minister Jim O’Callaghan added:
“Unless a person is involved in criminality, they are offered assistance to return home voluntarily before a deportation order is made. This is the best outcome when implementing returns. I have been increasing resources in my Department’s Voluntary Return Programme which has resulted in almost 1,200 people leaving voluntarily so far in 2025. I continue to appeal to those who are given this opportunity to avail of it.”
Three charter flights already conducted this year have removed 106 people who were subject to deportation orders. Yesterday’s operation brings the number of people removed by charter flight to 130. Additionally, 132 deportation orders have been enforced on commercial flights and 40 people subject to deportation orders are confirmed to have left Ireland unescorted so far in 2025.
Welcoming the flight, Minister for Migration Colm Brophy said:
“Charter flights are a vital enforcement tool in our removals process. A key priority of this government is that our immigration laws are effective and firm, ensuring that we have a fit for purpose, modern immigration system.
“This is the fourth charter flight this year and I would also like to thank members of An Garda Síochána, as well as the officials involved, for their ongoing hard work to ensure that these operations are conducted in a professional manner.
“It is essential that people who have no permission to remain in the State are removed, therefore upholding the integrity of the immigration system.”
The people concerned were Pakistani nationals and the charter flight left Dublin Airport on Tuesday evening at 7pm and arrived in Islamabad this morning.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
The Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration has taken action to significantly improve immigration enforcement measures and increase removals. 2,403 deportation orders were signed in 2024 an increase of 180% compared to 2023.
This year 3,029 deportation orders have been signed and 1,501 have departed the State under various mechanisms (that is, enforced deportation, voluntary return) up to and including the 23 September 2025.
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. In 2024, the number of voluntary returns increased to 934 compared to 215 in 2023. So far in 2025, 1,175 people have left under the voluntary return programme. This is the preferred method of removing people from the State.
In 2025, four charter flight operations have removed 130 people who were subject to deportation orders from the State. The returnees on this flight were accompanied by Garda personnel, medical staff, an interpreter and a human rights observer.
