It is a central priority for me that Ireland's immigration system is robust and rules-based. Effective enforcement of our immigration laws, including the implementation of deportation orders, is essential to maintaining confidence in the integrity of the system and ensuring that our legislation is applied consistently.
Deportations are often costly and complex to carry out. Consequently, voluntary return is the preferred option wherever possible. My Department operates a voluntary return programme to assist individuals who wish to leave the State before a deportation order is issued. Access to this programme is only available prior to the making of a deportation order and I have increased the resources available to support those who choose to return voluntarily at an earlier stage.
The enforcement of deportation orders is an operational matter for the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB), and my Department works closely with GNIB to facilitate the removal of individuals who are subject to deportation orders. Where a person does not leave the State voluntarily, they are required to present to GNIB in accordance with the conditions attached to their deportation order.
Where a person does not leave the State following the issuance of a deportation order, enforcement action may be required. In recent years, my Department has taken significant steps to strengthen immigration enforcement and increase the number of removals carried out.
The number of deportation orders signed in 2024 (2,403) increased by 180% compared with 2023 (857). In 2025, 4,700 deportation orders were signed, representing an increase of 96% compared with 2024.
In 2024, 1,122 people departed from the State under various mechanisms, including enforced deportation and voluntary return. In 2025, 2,111 people had their departure confirmed through these pathways, an increase of 88% compared with 2024.
It is also the case that, each year, an unspecified number of persons who are subject to deportation orders leave the State without notifying the relevant authorities. As there are no routine exit checks at Ireland's borders, it is not possible to determine definitively the number of individuals who have complied with a deportation order. However, I am informed that GNIB has reviewed a substantial sample of such cases and that its inquiries indicate that a very significant proportion of these individuals have departed the State.
The table below details the number of deportation orders signed from 2024 to 25 September 2026.
|
Year
|
2024
|
2025
|
2026 (25/09/26)
|
|
Deportation orders signed
|
2,403
|
4,700
|
3,381
|
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.
The table below details the number of deportations, removals and voluntary returns from 2024 to 25 September 2026.
|
Year
|
Enforced Deportations
|
Otherwise Confirmed Deportations (1)
|
Total Deportations
|
Other Removals (2)
|
Voluntary Returns
|
Total Removed
|
|
2024
|
134
|
28
|
162
|
26
|
934
|
1,122
|
|
2025
|
367
|
67
|
434
|
61
|
1,616
|
2,111
|
|
2026 (25/09/26)
|
327
|
75
|
402
|
123
|
1,239
|
1,764
|
* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing. A deportation effected in a particular year may relate to a Deportation Order signed in a previous year.
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.
The table below sets out the costs associated with deportations and removals (including charter flights) completed between 2024 and 25 September 2026. The figures cover flight costs, including flights routed through international hubs and long-distance destinations, as well as certain accommodation costs, where required, for all removals, including Dublin III transfers and EU removals.
A number of factors affect costs, including the number of persons travelling in each instance. In some cases, a person may resist deportation and GNIB will conduct a risk assessment to determine the number of escorts required. In addition, where persons convicted of offences are being removed, a higher number of escorts is typically required.
Flight costs can also be affected by the need to make arrangements to enable escorts to return on the same flight in certain instances for their personal safety. Travel bookings are approved on a case-by-case basis at senior level within both GNIB and Immigration Service Delivery. Additionally, only certain airport hubs allow deportations to be conducted, which impacts the routes available and, consequently, the costs incurred.
A further significant contributor to costs is the additional expenditure incurred where flights must be cancelled and rebooked at short notice due to last-minute legal or logistical issues. In complex cases, this may arise on more than one occasion in connection with an individual deportation.
|
|
2024
|
2025
|
2026 (25/09/2026)
|
|
Costs of total deportations/removals
|
€1,239,627
|
€3,232,253
|
€3,957,153
|
|
Average cost of total deportations/removals outlined above **
|
€7,748
|
€7,552
|
€8,794
|
Please note that the figures for 2024, 2025 and 2026 are provisional and subject to change and data cleansing.
* Total Deportation/Removals costs including the flight costs and some accommodation costs, where required, for all removals including Dublin 3 transfers, EU Removals as well as deportations. These figures do not include persons who self-deported, and the costs for people who availed of the voluntary return programmes.
** Average costs for Total Deportation/Removals including the flight costs and some accommodation costs, where required, for all removals including Dublin 3 transfers, EU Removals as well as deportations. These figures do not include persons who self-deported, and the costs for people who availed of the voluntary return programmes.
I can assure the Deputy that, in most cases, the cost of removing a person through enforced deportation is significantly higher than the cost associated with voluntary return. Accordingly, voluntary return is the preferred option wherever possible, and my Department operates a voluntary return programme to assist people who choose to return before the issuance of a deportation order.
Part of the voluntary return process is the provision of reintegration assistance. This grant supports individuals in re-establishing themselves upon their return home. The standard grant is €1,200 per person and up to €2,000 per family unit.
In September 2025, I announced that, for a limited period, persons who were in the International Protection process before 28 September 2025 would be eligible for enhanced reintegration assistance if they chose to leave at an earlier stage in the process. This measure is intended to reduce pressure on the system arising from the high number of international protection applications received in recent years.
Under this enhanced arrangement, where a person opts for voluntary return either before a first-instance decision is made or without submitting an appeal, the level of assistance available increases to €2,500 per person, up to a maximum of €10,000 per family unit.
Where a person is in the appeals process, the level of assistance available is €1,500 per person, up to a maximum of €6,000 per family unit.
Where a person has received a final decision on their application, the level of assistance remains at €1,200 per person or up to €3,000 per family unit.
My Department also covers the cost of flights associated with voluntary return cases. Calculating an average cost of voluntary return is complex due to the range of variables involved.
My Department also continues to reclaim funding for certain return flight costs under the European Union's Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF).
