Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 10 June 2026
186. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of EU citizens subject to re-entry bans to the State in each of the past ten years; the average duration of the bans imposed in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44576/26]
View answer187. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of EU citizens who have been refused entry to Ireland in each of the past five years on the basis that they had previously been issued with a re-entry ban; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44577/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 186 and 187 together.
Under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015, which transposes the Free Movement Directive (Directive 2004/38/EC) into Irish law, orders can be made for both the removal and exclusion of citizens of the European Union, European Economic Area and Switzerland. Such orders can be made on the grounds of public policy, public security or public health; legally, such orders must not be disproportionate and an individual assessment of factors such as length of residence in the country, integration (e.g. work history), age, health etc. must be carried out.
I can advise the Deputy that on Sunday 24 May 2026, removal orders were enforced against 22 Polish citizens and 12 Lithuanian citizens who were removed from Ireland by charter flight. Since the recommencement of charter flights last year, this was the third EU removal charter flight. An operation in October 2025 removed 23 Romanian citizens, while another charter in January 2026 removed 17 Polish citizens and 16 Lithuanian citizens. These removal orders were made in accordance with the Free Movement Directive on grounds of criminality and re-entry bans of up to 10 years have been applied to prevent return to Ireland.
I understand the Deputy has agreed to limit the scope of his request to data from 2020 onwards.
The table below details the number of removal orders which have been enforced under the European Communities (Free Movement of Persons) Regulations 2015 from 2020, up to 08 June 2026, and the average duration of enforced exclusion orders.
|
Year |
Orders signed under the Directive |
Orders enforced |
Average period of Exclusion Order |
|
2020 |
33 |
32 |
4.7 years |
|
2021 |
40 |
42 |
5.3 years |
|
2022 |
58 |
37 |
4.6 years |
|
2023 |
19 |
21 |
3.7 years |
|
2024 |
24 |
18 |
3.4 years |
|
2025 |
158 |
56 |
3.8 years |
|
2026 (to 08 June) |
81 |
89 |
6.2 years |
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
Removal Orders enforced in any given year may have been made in prior years. There may be a time lag between the making of a Removal Order and its enforcement in circumstances such as where the subject is continuing to serve a period of imprisonment.
When issued with such an order, the person concerned is required to remove themselves from the State. Many people comply with this and leave the country without informing my Department; as such it is not always possible to record these departures definitively.
The Border Management Unit (BMU) of my Department has responsibility for frontline immigration duties at Dublin Airport only. Frontline immigration duties at other airports and ports of entry are the responsibility of An Garda Síochána.
I can inform the Deputy that no EU citizens have been refused leave to land by the BMU at Dublin Airport in the past 5 years on the basis that they had been previously issued with a re-entry ban.
