Ireland’s efforts to remove failed asylum seekers are facing mounting obstacles, with more than 3,300 deportation orders signed so far in 2025 but fewer than half physically carried out, according to figures released on 24 October. The Department of Justice attributes the backlog to a spike in legal appeals, a shortage of commercial flight options to conflict-torn countries and airlines’ unwillingness to carry non-voluntary returnees.
The problem gained urgency this week after a 26-year-old man—subject to a deportation order since May—was charged with assaulting a young girl near the Saggart IPAS centre. Opposition politicians seized on the case to demand faster enforcement, while civil-rights lawyers warned that blanket removals risk breaching non-refoulement obligations if destination states are unsafe.
From a corporate-mobility viewpoint, the log-jam has indirect but tangible effects. Extended processing times mean more people remain in the IP system, keeping pressure on accommodation stock that multinationals often rely on for short-stay assignees. The Department’s budget for charter flights—already over €1.5 million this year—could rise further, diverting resources from work-permit processing and employer-sponsorship units.
Officials are exploring regional “staging hubs” within the EU to concentrate removals on fewer flights, but Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan told reporters such a model would only be backed if “legally robust and cost-effective”. The Department has also increased reintegration grants for voluntary return—a scheme companies may reference when advising unsuccessful internal job applicants whose permits have lapsed.
Migration analysts say Ireland’s experience mirrors wider EU struggles to deport individuals to unstable regions such as Syria, Libya or parts of Nigeria. Brussels is expected to finalise common return-procedure rules next spring; Dublin’s backlog statistics will likely feed into those negotiations.
The problem gained urgency this week after a 26-year-old man—subject to a deportation order since May—was charged with assaulting a young girl near the Saggart IPAS centre. Opposition politicians seized on the case to demand faster enforcement, while civil-rights lawyers warned that blanket removals risk breaching non-refoulement obligations if destination states are unsafe.
From a corporate-mobility viewpoint, the log-jam has indirect but tangible effects. Extended processing times mean more people remain in the IP system, keeping pressure on accommodation stock that multinationals often rely on for short-stay assignees. The Department’s budget for charter flights—already over €1.5 million this year—could rise further, diverting resources from work-permit processing and employer-sponsorship units.
Officials are exploring regional “staging hubs” within the EU to concentrate removals on fewer flights, but Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan told reporters such a model would only be backed if “legally robust and cost-effective”. The Department has also increased reintegration grants for voluntary return—a scheme companies may reference when advising unsuccessful internal job applicants whose permits have lapsed.
Migration analysts say Ireland’s experience mirrors wider EU struggles to deport individuals to unstable regions such as Syria, Libya or parts of Nigeria. Brussels is expected to finalise common return-procedure rules next spring; Dublin’s backlog statistics will likely feed into those negotiations.
