Ireland’s immigration enforcement authorities have completed their biggest single removal operation of the year, chartering a late-night flight from Dublin to Tbilisi that returned 52 Georgian nationals — 45 adults and seven children in family units — on 3 November. The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) escorted the passengers, supported by medical staff, interpreters and an independent human-rights observer. The flight landed at 02:30 Irish time on 4 November, the Department of Justice confirmed.
The charter was the sixth of 2025, bringing the year-to-date total to 351 deportations by charter and more than 500 overall when commercial removals are included. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said deportations would “continue for the remainder of 2025” and described charter flights as an essential tool to enforce the 3,870 deportation orders issued so far this year.
![Ireland carries out largest deportation flight of 2025, removing 52 Georgian nationals]()
For corporate mobility managers the statistics signal a tougher Irish stance on compliance: overstayers and failed protection applicants are being prioritised for removal, and the government is demonstrating capacity to organise mass charters. Employers sponsoring work or study permissions will need to double-check status documents and departure obligations for staff whose applications are refused or whose permission has lapsed.
Georgians account for a growing share of Irish asylum claims — a trend mirrored elsewhere in the EU after the visa-free travel agreement between Georgia and Schengen countries came into force in 2017. Although Ireland is not in Schengen, its visa-free regime for Georgian biometric-passport holders prompted a surge in applications in 2023–24. The latest removals suggest Irish authorities believe many of those claims are ultimately unfounded.
Practical tip: where removal is likely, voluntary-return programmes remain the cheaper and less disruptive route for employers and individuals. Charter removals cost the State €187,625 for the latest operation; voluntary departures avoid detention and re-entry bans and can sometimes be organised at short notice.
The charter was the sixth of 2025, bringing the year-to-date total to 351 deportations by charter and more than 500 overall when commercial removals are included. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said deportations would “continue for the remainder of 2025” and described charter flights as an essential tool to enforce the 3,870 deportation orders issued so far this year.
For corporate mobility managers the statistics signal a tougher Irish stance on compliance: overstayers and failed protection applicants are being prioritised for removal, and the government is demonstrating capacity to organise mass charters. Employers sponsoring work or study permissions will need to double-check status documents and departure obligations for staff whose applications are refused or whose permission has lapsed.
Georgians account for a growing share of Irish asylum claims — a trend mirrored elsewhere in the EU after the visa-free travel agreement between Georgia and Schengen countries came into force in 2017. Although Ireland is not in Schengen, its visa-free regime for Georgian biometric-passport holders prompted a surge in applications in 2023–24. The latest removals suggest Irish authorities believe many of those claims are ultimately unfounded.
Practical tip: where removal is likely, voluntary-return programmes remain the cheaper and less disruptive route for employers and individuals. Charter removals cost the State €187,625 for the latest operation; voluntary departures avoid detention and re-entry bans and can sometimes be organised at short notice.
