Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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486. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of deportations from the State in each of the years 2021 2022, 2023, 2024; and the country they were deported to, by year and country, in tabular form. [9016/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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It is a priority for me as Minister that our immigration laws are robust and enforced. The removal of persons who have been refused permission to remain is an essential requirement for the immigration system to work effectively and to ensure that our people have confidence in the application of our laws in this area.

My Department has taken action to significantly improve immigration enforcement measures and increase removals. Last week, a chartered flight to Georgia removed 32 persons who were subject to deportation orders from the State. This is the first operation conducted under the contract my Department put in place for this purpose last November. Further operations will be conducted as the year progresses.

The number of deportation orders signed in 2024 (2,403) increased by 180% compared to 2023 (857). This year 703 deportation orders have been signed. Last year, 1,116 people departed from the State under various mechanisms (i.e. enforced deportation, voluntary return etc.), an increase of 252% compared to 2023 (317). This year 311 persons have had their departure confirmed through these pathways. In addition to the enforced deportations and those that are otherwise confirmed to have left, a much larger number of people will have left the State without informing the authorities. However, as there are no routine exit checks at Irish borders, it is not possible to accurately quantify this number.

Enforced deportation operations are complex and costly. They often involve investigations, detection, detentions in custody, legal challenges, flights costs and confirmation with the return country that the person is their citizen. It is the preferred option to return people voluntarily and my Department has a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. In 2024, the number of voluntary returns increased to 934 compared to 213 in 2023.

The table below illustrate the total number of deportations in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 up to 28 February 2025.

Table 1. Deportations 2021 to 2025

* to 28/02/2025

* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.

* During the COVID- 19 Pandemic there was a moratorium on deportations. This was effective during the latter part of 2020, 2021 and for the first 8 months of 2022. During the moratorium only persons whose presence in Ireland would be contrary to the public interest deported.

1. An enforced deportation is where a person is escorted from the state by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB)
2. Removed by Charter is an enforced deportation as part of a Charter Flight Operation.
3. Otherwise confirmed Deportations is where it has been confirmed the individual has left the state following receipt of a Deportation Order without being escorted.

Table 2. Nationalities Deported 2021

Table 3. Nationalities Deported 2022

Table 4. Nationalities Deported 2023

Table 5. Nationalities Deported 2024

* Please note, figures are correct at time of issue, however, all statistics may be subject to data cleansing.

** It is the policy of my Department not to release numbers where there are less than 5 in respect of any nationality, as there is a possibility that a person may be identifiable by releasing such information.