Ireland flies 24 Romanian nationals back to Bucharest under removal orders
Ireland deported 24 Romanian men on a charter flight after invoking removal orders tied to criminal activity, imposing bans of up to ten years.
Ireland carried out a mass removal of 24 Romanian men on a chartered aircraft, citing criminal behaviour as the basis for the action. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said the removals complied with the Free Movement Directive and that each individual received a ban on returning to Ireland for as long as ten years. The group, ranging from 24 to 57 years old, included 18 prisoners transferred directly from Irish Prison Service custody and six others who had been arrested and detained across the country.
Garda personnel, medical staff, interpreters and a human-rights observer accompanied the flight, which departed Dublin Airport at 4.25 pm and landed in Bucharest. The operation, overseen by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, cost €182,270.
Why it matters
The deportations illustrate Ireland's willingness to restrict EU free-movement rights for serious criminal offenders.
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