Irish authorities have spent almost €77,000 on a charter aircraft to facilitate the deportation of six Nigerian nationals classified as too high-risk to be removed on ordinary commercial flights.
The six men, who collectively accumulated 75 criminal convictions while living in Ireland, were flown from Dublin to Rome in late July before joining a joint return operation coordinated by the Italian government and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, Frontex, for their removal to Nigeria.
According to a Department of Justice briefing prepared for Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, the Garda National Immigration Bureau conducted a risk assessment and concluded that several of the men should not be deported on commercial passenger aircraft.
The department explained that commercial airlines generally permitted only one deportee per flight, making the arrangement unsuitable for individuals considered high risk.
The operation formed part of Ireland’s growing reliance on charter flights and cooperation with European authorities to enforce deportation orders.
Reports by Irish media, including the Irish Examiner and Extra.ie, said the Dublin to Rome charter cost €76,895, excluding value added tax. The final cost of the entire removal operation was yet to be established.
Irish authorities said participating in joint Frontex operations would help the country deport people to destinations where it might be difficult to land a dedicated charter aircraft or where the number of deportees would not justify hiring an entire plane.
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said removing foreign nationals involved in criminal activity and those considered a danger to society remained a government priority.
The department disclosed that six charter operations in 2026 had resulted in 221 people being removed from Ireland, including 67 European Union citizens deported on grounds of criminality.
The expenditure comes amid wider scrutiny of Ireland’s deportation programme. Figures reported by RTÉ showed that deportation operations involving charter aircraft had cost millions of euros, highlighting the financial and logistical demands of enforcing immigration decisions.
Irish officials have defended the approach as necessary for security, public safety and effective immigration enforcement. Deportees on such operations are typically accompanied by Garda officers, medical personnel, interpreters and independent human rights observers.
