Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
734. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of persons deported by the State; the number issued with a deportation order respectively, in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3890/26]
View answerIt is a central priority for me that Ireland’s immigration system is robust and rules based. 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.
Deportations are costly and complex to enforce. It is the preferred option to return people voluntarily and my Department has a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. A person can only avail of voluntary return before a deportation order is issued and I have increased resources into this programme to enable individuals who wish to return before a deportation order is issued to them.
If a person does not remove themselves from the State following the issuance of a deportation order, they will be removed, and my Department has taken action to significantly improve immigration enforcement measures and increase removals.
The number of deportation orders signed in 2024 (2,403) increased by 180% compared to 2023 (857). In 2025, 4,700 deportation orders were signed, an increase of 96% compared to 2024.
In 2024, 1,122 people departed from the State under various mechanisms (i.e. enforced deportation, voluntary return etc.). In 2025, 2,111 people had their departure confirmed through these pathways, an increase of 88% compared to 2024.
In 2025, six charter flight operations removed 205 people from the State. 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.
The tables below detail the number of deportation orders signed and effected from 2020 to 2025.
Table 1. Deportation orders signed from 2020 to 2025
|
Year |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Deportation orders signed |
598 |
33 |
549 |
859 |
2,403 |
4,700 |
*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
Table 2. Deportation Enforcement 2020 to 2025
|
Year |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Enforced Deportations |
42 |
5 |
24 |
51 |
134 |
185 |
|
Removed by Charter |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
182 |
|
Otherwise Confirmed Deportation (1) |
97 |
33 |
93 |
28 |
28 |
67 |
|
Total Deportations |
139 |
38 |
117 |
79 |
162 |
434 |
|
Other Removals (2) |
40 |
46 |
39 |
24 |
26 |
61 |
|
Number of Voluntary Returns |
201 |
132 |
91 |
215 |
934 |
1,616 |
|
Total Removed |
380 |
216 |
247 |
318 |
1,122 |
2,111 |
*Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
** During the COVID- 19 Pandemic there was a moratorium on deportations. This was effective during the latter part of 2020, 2021 and for the first 8 months of 2022. During the moratorium only people who whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest were deported. This moratorium was lifted in July 2022.
1. Otherwise confirmed deportations is where it has been confirmed a person has left the state following receipt of a deportation order without being escorted.
2. Other removals include Dublin III Transfer Orders of International Protection applicants to another EU State and EU Removal Orders for the return of EU Citizens under the Free Movement Regulations (these orders are made on grounds of criminality) and people who are deemed inadmissible under the International Protection Act.
As Ireland does not operate routine exit checks at Irish borders, it is not possible to confirm in all instances that a person has departed the State. A person is only recorded as being deported when their deportation has been enforced by An Garda Síochána or when officials have been provided with evidence that they have left Ireland.
While over 300 of the people subject to deportation orders above have confirmed they have left the State independently since 2020, it is the case that a significantly larger number of individuals who were subject to Deportation Orders have left the State without notifying the relevant authorities.
I am informed that the 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.
