IRELAND has deported 24 men on a chartered flight to Romania.
The men, who were all aged between 24 and 57 years old, were removed on the grounds of ‘criminality’ it was confirmed this week.
The flight, which left Dublin at 4.25pm on October 18, arrived in Bucharest at 8pm that evening Irish time.
Eighteen of the men had been serving prison sentences and were removed directly from Irish Prison Service custody.
The remaining six were arrested and held in custody prior to their removal.
“Restricting the right to freedom of movement of European citizens is not a measure I take lightly, but there must be consequences if a person’s criminal behaviour means they should no longer be entitled to access this privilege,” Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan said.
“I will take action if our laws are not upheld and this includes enforcing removal orders for individuals who are a danger to the public,” he added.
“The enforcement of removal orders and use of charter flights demonstrates my commitment to taking effective action in this area.
This latest charter flight brings the total number of people removed under Ireland’s Free Movement Directive to 148 so far in 2026.
Garda personnel, medical staff, interpreters and a human rights observer were also aboard the flight.
The costs of the flight for the operation was €182,270.
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