New figures released by the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration reveal that the Irish State paid more than €2.8 million last year to remove people who had no legal right to remain in the country. According to a parliamentary reply published on 19 January, the Government chartered six dedicated aircraft at a cost of almost €1.3 million to deport 205 people—an average of €6,243 per passenger. Five of those charters repatriated 182 failed asylum-seekers to Georgia, Pakistan and Nigeria, while a sixth flight returned 23 EU citizens on criminal-grounds deportation orders. (echolive.ie)
A further €1.5 million was spent purchasing seats on scheduled commercial services for individual removals. In total, 2,111 people left the State in 2025 under deportation orders—an 88 percent jump on the previous year—while the number of orders signed almost doubled to 4,700. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan told TDs that strengthening enforcement is now a “central priority” and that costs can sometimes be reclaimed from an EU fund, although he did not specify the amount. (echolive.ie)
Charter operations are expensive because Garda National Immigration Bureau escorts must accompany deportees; a September flight to Pakistan carrying 24 passengers required 79 escorts and cost €474,000, or nearly €20,000 per person. Officials say commercial removals are used where practicable, but direct flights are not always available, and resistance by individuals can necessitate extra security staff. (echolive.ie)
![Ireland Spent €2.8 Million on Charter and Commercial Deportation Flights in 2025]()
For companies and individuals keen to avoid the hefty costs and complications that can arise from immigration non-compliance, VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers end-to-end assistance with visa and residence-permit applications, renewal reminders, and document checks. By helping travellers and HR teams submit complete, on-time paperwork, the service reduces the risk of refusals—and the possibility of facing costly deportation proceedings later.
For employers running large expatriate programmes, the figures are a reminder that Ireland is tightening compliance. Corporate mobility managers should ensure that posted workers’ residence permissions are renewed promptly and that voluntary-return options are explained to staff whose applications are refused; once a deportation order is signed, an entry ban generally applies for five years. Legal advisers also point out that the sharp increase in enforcement is likely to make it harder to remain in Ireland while challenging a negative decision, underscoring the value of filing complete, well-documented applications from the outset.
Looking ahead, policymakers are considering whether to expand voluntary-return grants to lower the financial and diplomatic cost of forced removals. However, human-rights NGOs warn that accelerated enforcement, without equal investment in integration supports, risks pushing vulnerable people underground and could strain Ireland’s reception capacity if arrival numbers continue to grow.
A further €1.5 million was spent purchasing seats on scheduled commercial services for individual removals. In total, 2,111 people left the State in 2025 under deportation orders—an 88 percent jump on the previous year—while the number of orders signed almost doubled to 4,700. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan told TDs that strengthening enforcement is now a “central priority” and that costs can sometimes be reclaimed from an EU fund, although he did not specify the amount. (echolive.ie)
Charter operations are expensive because Garda National Immigration Bureau escorts must accompany deportees; a September flight to Pakistan carrying 24 passengers required 79 escorts and cost €474,000, or nearly €20,000 per person. Officials say commercial removals are used where practicable, but direct flights are not always available, and resistance by individuals can necessitate extra security staff. (echolive.ie)
For companies and individuals keen to avoid the hefty costs and complications that can arise from immigration non-compliance, VisaHQ’s Ireland portal (https://www.visahq.com/ireland/) offers end-to-end assistance with visa and residence-permit applications, renewal reminders, and document checks. By helping travellers and HR teams submit complete, on-time paperwork, the service reduces the risk of refusals—and the possibility of facing costly deportation proceedings later.
For employers running large expatriate programmes, the figures are a reminder that Ireland is tightening compliance. Corporate mobility managers should ensure that posted workers’ residence permissions are renewed promptly and that voluntary-return options are explained to staff whose applications are refused; once a deportation order is signed, an entry ban generally applies for five years. Legal advisers also point out that the sharp increase in enforcement is likely to make it harder to remain in Ireland while challenging a negative decision, underscoring the value of filing complete, well-documented applications from the outset.
Looking ahead, policymakers are considering whether to expand voluntary-return grants to lower the financial and diplomatic cost of forced removals. However, human-rights NGOs warn that accelerated enforcement, without equal investment in integration supports, risks pushing vulnerable people underground and could strain Ireland’s reception capacity if arrival numbers continue to grow.
