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Dublin Live
3 hours ago
- Politics
- Dublin Live
Flight deporting 35 people from Ireland makes unscheduled stop due to medical incident
A flight carrying 35 people, including five children, who were being deported from Ireland was forced to make an unscheduled stop over a medical incident on board. The 21 men, nine woman and five children left on a chartered flight which departed Dublin Airport on Wednesday night for Nigeria. It was required to make the unscheduled stop, but Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said he was "happy to say" that the flight was able to resume its journey with "all 35 returnees arriving safely" in Lagos on Thursday morning. The people deported were Nigerian nationals. Mr O'Callaghan confirmed the "completion of a successful deportation operation" in a statement on Thursday morning. He said that the deported children were part of a family unit. It is the third operation carried out since the recommencement of charter flights for deportations in February of this year." Access to these services has significantly increased the capacity of An Garda Siochana to enforce deportation orders and is a measure Mr O'Callaghan is deploying to step up immigration enforcement," the justice department said. "Further charter operations will be conducted as the year progresses." Mr O'Callaghan said that people coming to Ireland must follow the "appropriate pathways" for legal migration. "Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced," he added. "The return of people whose applications have been refused and deportation orders have issued is the foundation of any modern rules-based immigration process. "People coming to Ireland must follow the appropriate pathways for legal migration and these pathways must be adhered to and protected for our immigration system to work fairly and effectively. "If a person's application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State they must do so. This is the third charter operation this year. Removal operations of this nature send a clear message that there are consequences for people who remain in our country without permission and underscores this Government's intention to protect the integrity of our immigration system. "The flight was required to make an unscheduled stop due to a medical incident on board, but I am happy to say that the flight was able to resume its journey with all 35 returnees arriving safely in Nigeria this morning. I want to thank the members of An Garda Siochana and my officials for their work in conducting this successful operation." The charter flights are used in addition to commercial flights. These operations are conducted under a contract signed by the State in November 2024 for the provision of charter aircraft. Mr O'Callaghan added: "Enforced removals are conducted as a measure of last resort when the person concerned has not removed themselves from the State or availed of assisted voluntary return measures. Before a deportation order is made, the person is offered assistance to return home voluntarily which is the preferred option. There has been a significant increase in the number of people leaving voluntarily and I continue to appeal to those who are given this opportunity to avail of it where appropriate." Two charter flights already conducted this year have removed 71 people who were subject to deportation orders. This operation brings the number of people removed by charter flight to 106. Additionally, 54 deportation orders have been enforced on commercial flights and 23 people subject to deportation orders are confirmed to have left Ireland unescorted so far in 2025. Minister for Migration Colm Brophy said: "Having a modern immigration system where its laws are effective and enforced is a key priority for this Government. The removal of people who have no legal right to be in the State, and the enforcement aspect of our immigration laws, are essential for the system to work effectively. "Today's flight, the third charter flight this year, underpins the Government's commitment in this area. I would like to thank members of An Garda Siochana for their ongoing hard work and commitment to ensuring that our returns system is effective and efficient. "This Department has a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. This is the preferred option, and I would encourage those who are provided the opportunity to return voluntarily to avail of it. So far this year, 694 people have availed of the voluntary return programme." In a statement, a spokesman for the gardai said that the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) carried out the operation. An Garda Siochana said it continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Belfast Telegraph
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Flight carrying 35 people deported from Ireland makes stop over medical incident
The 21 men, nine woman and five children left on a chartered flight which departed Dublin Airport on Wednesday night for Nigeria. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan confirmed it was the third chartered flight used for deportations this year, at a cost of 324,714 euros which he said was 'value for money'. The plane was required to make the unscheduled stop, but Mr O'Callaghan said he was 'happy to say' that the flight was able to resume its journey with 'all 35 returnees arriving safely' in Lagos on Thursday morning. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. The people deported were Nigerian nationals. Mr O'Callaghan confirmed the 'completion of a successful deportation operation' in a statement on Thursday morning. He said that the deported children were part of a family unit. It is the third operation carried out since the recommencement of charter flights for deportations in February of this year. 'Access to these services has significantly increased the capacity of An Garda Siochana to enforce deportation orders and is a measure Mr O'Callaghan is deploying to step up immigration enforcement,' the justice department said. 'Further charter operations will be conducted as the year progresses.' Mr O'Callaghan said that people coming to Ireland must follow the 'appropriate pathways' for legal migration. 'Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced,' he added. 'The return of people whose applications have been refused and deportation orders have issued is the foundation of any modern rules-based immigration process. 'People coming to Ireland must follow the appropriate pathways for legal migration and these pathways must be adhered to and protected for our immigration system to work fairly and effectively. 'If a person's application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State they must do so. 'This is the third charter operation this year. Removal operations of this nature send a clear message that there are consequences for people who remain in our country without permission and underscores this Government's intention to protect the integrity of our immigration system. 'The flight was required to make an unscheduled stop due to a medical incident on board, but I am happy to say that the flight was able to resume its journey with all 35 returnees arriving safely in Nigeria this morning. 'I want to thank the members of An Garda Siochana and my officials for their work in conducting this successful operation.' The charter flights are used in addition to commercial flights. These operations are conducted under a contract signed by the State in November 2024 for the provision of charter aircraft. Mr O'Callaghan added: 'Enforced removals are conducted as a measure of last resort when the person concerned has not removed themselves from the State or availed of assisted voluntary return measures. 'Before a deportation order is made, the person is offered assistance to return home voluntarily which is the preferred option. 'There has been a significant increase in the number of people leaving voluntarily and I continue to appeal to those who are given this opportunity to avail of it where appropriate.' Two charter flights already conducted this year have removed 71 people who were subject to deportation orders. This operation brings the number of people removed by charter flight to 106. Additionally, 54 deportation orders have been enforced on commercial flights and 23 people subject to deportation orders are confirmed to have left Ireland unescorted so far in 2025. Minister for Migration Colm Brophy said: 'Having a modern immigration system where its laws are effective and enforced is a key priority for this Government. 'The removal of people who have no legal right to be in the State, and the enforcement aspect of our immigration laws, are essential for the system to work effectively. 'Today's flight, the third charter flight this year, underpins the Government's commitment in this area. I would like to thank members of An Garda Siochana for their ongoing hard work and commitment to ensuring that our returns system is effective and efficient. 'This Department has a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. 'This is the preferred option, and I would encourage those who are provided the opportunity to return voluntarily to avail of it. So far this year, 694 people have availed of the voluntary return programme.' In a statement, a spokesman for the gardai said that the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) carried out the operation. An Garda Siochana said it continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy. Minister for Children Norma Foley said parents who are subject to deportation orders should consider leaving Ireland voluntarily, saying it is in the 'best interest' of everyone. Speaking on Thursday, Ms Foley said she accepts it is a 'really, really challenging space and very difficult'. 'I absolutely accept that. I would have to say, though, that we have to have a very clear, rules-based system,' she added. 'I think people who come to the country need to know what the rules are, and the system will work as per the rules. It is my understanding in this instance, when you come and your case is assessed, if you have a right to be here, you stay here. You are supported here. 'If it is deemed that you don't have a right to be here, you have a right to challenge that. And there is an appeal process, and if you're unsuccessful with the appeal process, you are given the opportunity to leave the country voluntarily, and there is assistance provided for you to leave voluntarily. 'Many, many take up that opportunity to leave voluntarily. But if you don't leave, then there is this option that has to be taken in terms of you are being competitively. 'I would not want any child or any person to be in a stressful or stressed situation, but I think we must be clear as well that it is a rules based system. 'We want it to be fair, and we want the outcome to be fair. I think it's very important, and I think parents really should maybe consider this as an option. 'If you are given the opportunity to leave the country voluntarily, if assistance is provided to support you to do that, it would be in the best interest of everybody that you would do that voluntarily. 'This measure of being compelled to leave, that's a measure of last, last resort.'
Irish Daily Mirror
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Flight deporting 35 Nigerians from Ireland forced to make unscheduled stop
A flight carrying 35 people, including five children, who were being deported from Ireland was forced to make an unscheduled stop over a medical incident on board. The 21 men, nine woman and five children left on a chartered flight which departed Dublin Airport on Wednesday night for was required to make the unscheduled stop, but Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan said he was "happy to say" that the flight was able to resume its journey with "all 35 returnees arriving safely" in Lagos on Thursday morning. The people deported were Nigerian nationals. Mr O'Callaghan confirmed the "completion of a successful deportation operation" in a statement on Thursday morning. He said that the deported children were part of a family unit. It is the third operation carried out since the recommencement of charter flights for deportations in February of this year."Access to these services has significantly increased the capacity of An Garda Siochana to enforce deportation orders and is a measure Mr O'Callaghan is deploying to step up immigration enforcement," the justice department said. "Further charter operations will be conducted as the year progresses." Mr O'Callaghan said that people coming to Ireland must follow the "appropriate pathways" for legal migration. "Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced," he added."The return of people whose applications have been refused and deportation orders have issued is the foundation of any modern rules-based immigration process. "People coming to Ireland must follow the appropriate pathways for legal migration and these pathways must be adhered to and protected for our immigration system to work fairly and effectively. "If a person's application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State they must do so."This is the third charter operation this year. Removal operations of this nature send a clear message that there are consequences for people who remain in our country without permission and underscores this Government's intention to protect the integrity of our immigration system. "The flight was required to make an unscheduled stop due to a medical incident on board, but I am happy to say that the flight was able to resume its journey with all 35 returnees arriving safely in Nigeria this morning. "I want to thank the members of An Garda Siochana and my officials for their work in conducting this successful operation."The charter flights are used in addition to commercial flights. These operations are conducted under a contract signed by the State in November 2024 for the provision of charter O'Callaghan added: "Enforced removals are conducted as a measure of last resort when the person concerned has not removed themselves from the State or availed of assisted voluntary return measures. "Before a deportation order is made, the person is offered assistance to return home voluntarily which is the preferred option."There has been a significant increase in the number of people leaving voluntarily and I continue to appeal to those who are given this opportunity to avail of it where appropriate." Two charter flights already conducted this year have removed 71 people who were subject to deportation operation brings the number of people removed by charter flight to 106. Additionally, 54 deportation orders have been enforced on commercial flights and 23 people subject to deportation orders are confirmed to have left Ireland unescorted so far in 2025. Minister for Migration Colm Brophy said: "Having a modern immigration system where its laws are effective and enforced is a key priority for this Government. "The removal of people who have no legal right to be in the State, and the enforcement aspect of our immigration laws, are essential for the system to work effectively. "Today's flight, the third charter flight this year, underpins the Government's commitment in this area. I would like to thank members of An Garda Siochana for their ongoing hard work and commitment to ensuring that our returns system is effective and efficient."This Department has a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to the issuance of a deportation order. "This is the preferred option, and I would encourage those who are provided the opportunity to return voluntarily to avail of it. So far this year, 694 people have availed of the voluntary return programme." In a statement, a spokesman for the gardai said that the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) carried out the Garda Siochana said it continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy.
Dublin Live
2 days ago
- General
- Dublin Live
M50 motorist caught at almost twice speed limit during Garda bank holiday operation
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A motorist was detected driving at almost double the speed limit on the M50 over the weekend. The driver was clocked doing 188km/h in a 100km/h zone on the motorway near Templeogue. The detection was made as part of an extensive roads policing operation carried out by gardai between 7am on Thursday, May 29 and 7am on Tuesday, June 3. One person sadly lost their life on the roads over the weekend while 14 serious collisions resulted in 14 people suffering severe and life-threatening injuries. Gardai manned more than 830 Mandatory Intoxicant Testing (MIT) checkpoints over the weekend. Over 4,000 breath tests and around 270 oral fluid tests were carried out, leading to 167 arrests for suspected driving under the influence of an intoxicant. Officers were also out in force to clamp down on speeding on the country's roads, with almost 3,000 drivers detected over the speed limit. These included: 99km/h in a 50km/h zone on R212 at Clones, Co. Monaghan 114km/h in a 60km/h zone on R147 at Dunboyne, Co. Meath 119km/h in a 80km/h zone on R148 at Broadford, Co. Kildare Almost 500 vehicles were seized over the weekend. According to figures released by An Garda Siochana, 99 vehicles were seized from learner permit holders driving unaccompanied while a further 380 were seized for having no tax or insurance. Hundreds of Fixed Charge Notices were also issued over the weekend. These were for offences including: Using Mobile Phones – over 210 Unaccompanied learner drivers – over 215 No seatbelts – over 70 Commenting on the figures, a Garda spokesperson said: "An Garda Síochána continue to appeal to all road users to never drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs, to slow down and to always choose a speed that is appropriate to the driving conditions, to wear your seatbelt and keep your eyes always on the road." Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Dublin Live
3 days ago
- Dublin Live
Carlow shooter named as local man, 22, who was facing firearms charges
The man who opened fire in a Carlow shopping centre before taking his own life has been identified. Detectives are now satisfied the gunman behind the horror incident on Sunday evening was Carlow man Evan Fitzgerald. Mr Fitzgerald, 22, was due to make a court appearance on 13 firearms and explosive charges later this week. He was due to have the book of evidence in the case presented to him at Naas District Court on Wednesday – which meant he was to stand trial in front of a judge and jury later this year. He was charged under anti firearms and explosives legislation and was facing up to 14 years behind bars if he was convicted. But the case against him cannot now proceed. Mr Fitzgerald was 22 and had an address at Portrushen Upper, Kiltegan, Rathvilly, Co Carlow, close to the border with Wicklow. It is about 27 kilometres from the Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow Town, where he caused panic on Sunday evening. (Image: An Garda Siochana) We have confirmed that Mr Fitzgerald was on bail on serious firearms and explosives charges when he went to Fairgreen and opened fire. Sources tell us gardai now believe he did not intend to target anyone else in the incident – which officers now think was a gruesome public suicide. "He did not shoot at anyone else and we believe he did not want to. The shots he fired were not aimed at anyone," a source told us. The steel worker – who a court previously heard had a fascination with guns – was charged over an incident at Staffan in Co Kildare last year. Detectives from the Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau charged Mr Fitzgerald over the incident in which officers seized a German-made Heckler and Koch G3 assault rifle and an America Colt M1911 semi automatic pistol. A court heard the guns were seized following an intelligence-led operation into alleged firearms trafficking. Gardaí, including from DOCB and The Emergency Response Unit, conducted a controlled stop on a vehicle and seized the firearms and ammunition, the court heard. (Image: An Garda Siochana) Mr Fitzgerald, who was on bail, last appeared in court on May 7 and was remanded to this coming Wednesday. He was facing 13 charges. Two were for allegedly possessing the firearms at Ponsonby Bridge, Straffan Road, Co. Kildare on March 2 last year. He also faced two separate charges of possessing 22 rounds of .45 ACP calibre ammunition and 20 rounds of .308 Winchester ammunition on the same date and location. Mr Fitzgerald was also facing a further nine charges, all also allegedly committed on March 2 last year – but this time it is alleged they were committed at Portrushen Upper, Kiltegan, Rathvilly, Co Carlow, Mr Fitzgerald was alleged to have possessed: 23 rounds of Ammunition Suitable for use in Appropriately Chambered Rifles Sixty nine shotgun cartridges Four rounds for pistol and revolvers One round of .450" Calibre Bullet suitable for use in Large Bore Centrefire Rifles One magazine suitable for use in 7.62x39mm Calibre AK-47 rifles One magazine suitable for use in Tokarev Calibre TT-33 Pistols One Magazine suitable for use in Makarov Calibre PM Pistols The explosive substance of Potassium Nitrate, Sulphur and Charcoal (Black Powder) explosive mixture The explosive substance of Ammonium Perchlorate, Potassium Perchlorate, Sulphur and Magnalium. He had not yet entered any plea in the case and no evidence was heard at the May 7 appearance. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
