THE Irish Government has deported 24 men on a chartered flight to Pakistan.
Having left Dublin airport at 7pm on September 23, the flight arrived in Islamabad yesterday morning (September 24).
“All people concerned were Pakistani nationals”, the government confirmed in a statement.
It marks the fourth deportation flight carried out in Ireland this year and brings the total number of people deported by charter flight to 130.
A further 132 deportation orders have been enforced on commercial flights, while 40 people subject to deportation orders are confirmed to have left Ireland unescorted so far in 2025.
“This year sustained and significant work has been undertaken to strengthen immigration enforcement and increase the removal of people who have no legal right to be in Ireland,” Ireland’s Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Minister Jim O’Sullivan said this week.
“We are seeing the results with a doubling of enforced deportations,” he added.
“3,029 deportation orders have been issued so far in 2025.
“I want to thank the members of An Garda Síochána and my officials for the significant work in conducting these sensitive and complex operations.
“This sends a clear message, if a person’s application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State, they must do so.
“If they choose not to leave voluntarily, they will be forced to leave."
The Minister explained that unless a person is involved in criminality, they are “offered assistance to return home voluntarily before a deportation order is made”.
“This is the best outcome when implementing returns,” he said.
“I have been increasing resources in my Department’s Voluntary Return Programme which has resulted in almost 1,200 people leaving voluntarily so far in 2025,” he added.
“I continue to appeal to those who are given this opportunity to avail of it.”
See More: Deportation, Ireland, Pakistan
