The Irish government has deported six Nigerian men to Lagos, saying five of them had a combined total of 35 criminal convictions as Dublin steps up enforcement of immigration laws against foreign nationals with no legal right to remain in the country.
The deportation, carried out on Tuesday, involved a charter flight from Dublin to Rome, where the deportees joined a joint return operation coordinated by Frontex, the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, before continuing to Lagos.
According to Ireland’s Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, the six men, aged between 25 and 40, were escorted by members of An Garda Síochána (the Irish police service), medical personnel, an interpreter and an independent human rights observer throughout the operation.
The department did not disclose the identities of the deportees or specify the offences for which the five men had been convicted.
“Our immigration system must be rules-based and robust,” Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan, said in a statement.
“The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure there is public confidence in the application of our legislation.”
He added: “I will take action if our laws are not upheld and this includes enforcing deportations for individuals involved in criminality and who pose a danger to society.”
Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy described the exercise as “an important operation to remove people involved in criminality from Ireland” and said cooperation with Frontex provided both operational and financial benefits.
The aircraft used for the Dublin-Rome leg of the operation cost the Irish government €76,895, excluding VAT. Authorities said additional charter deportation flights would be conducted throughout 2026.
Ireland ramps up deportations
The latest operation comes amid a sharp increase in immigration enforcement by the Irish government.
According to official figures, Ireland signed 4,700 deportation orders in 2025, almost double the number issued the previous year. As of July 24, authorities had already issued another 2,650 deportation orders in 2026.
Overall departures from Ireland through deportation and voluntary return also rose significantly, increasing from 1,122 people in 2024 to 2,111 in 2025. So far this year, 1,294 people have left the country under those programmes.
Irish authorities said voluntary return remains the preferred option for migrants without legal status, although the programme is generally not available to individuals convicted of serious crimes.
The government also said charter flights have expanded the country’s capacity to enforce deportation orders, particularly where groups of individuals are being removed to the same destination.
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