THIRTY-FOUR men were deported from Ireland “on grounds of criminality” this week.
A chartered flight left Dublin Airport on Sunday, May 24, carrying 22 Polish nationals and 12 Lithuanians.
All the men, who were aged from their mid-20s to their mid-60s, were subject to removal orders and are now banned from re-entering the country for 10 years, Gardaí confirmed in a statement
Garda personnel, medical staff, interpreters and a human rights observer also accompanied them on the flight.
Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan“All the individuals have a criminal history in Ireland and have been convicted before the courts and received custodial sentences for their crimes” the police force confirmed.
“Twenty-five of the individuals had been currently serving prison sentences and were removed directly from Irish Prison Service custody,” they explained.
“The other nine individuals were arrested and detained from communities across Ireland and were lodged in prison prior to their removal [on May 24].”
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has welcomed the successful completion of the operation.
“European citizens have the right to freedom of movement,” he said.
“Restricting this right is not something I take lightly, but there must be consequences for people whose behaviour means they should no longer enjoy this privilege.”
He added: “I will take action if our laws are not upheld.
“This includes enforcing removal orders for people involved in criminality and for those who pose a danger to society.
"[This] operation underpins my commitment in this area.
“I want to acknowledge that the vast majority of Polish and Lithuanian nationals resident in the State respect our laws and are valuable members of our society.
“I would like to extend my thanks to the members of An Garda Síochána, as well as officials from my Department, for their dedicated work in completing this operation."
This week’s deportation brings the total number of people removed under the Free Movement Directive to 88 so far this year.
In 2025 a total of 56 individuals were removed from Ireland under the Directive.
Everything from irishpost.com and the print edition is available on the Irish Post App — plus more! Download it for Android or Apple IOS devices today.
See More: Deportation, Ireland, Lithuania, Poland
