The Republic of Ireland has spent €324,714 — approximately ₦577 million — to deport 35 Nigerians back to Lagos via a chartered flight, according to Irish broadcaster Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTÉ).

The deportation, which occurred on Wednesday night, involved 21 men, nine women, and five children. Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, confirmed the cost of the operation, stating that it was coordinated by An Garda Síochána (Irish police), Department of Justice staff, and prison officers.

“People need to know that if they are served with a deportation order, it has meaning, and the meaning is that you are not entitled to stay in Ireland,” O’Callaghan said. He added that this was the third such chartered deportation flight this year, despite the plane making an unscheduled stop due to a medical emergency on board.

All deportees arrived in Nigeria safely on Thursday morning.

The Justice Minister emphasized that the deported individuals had failed to comply with earlier deportation orders, stressing the importance of enforcing immigration laws. “If it is the case that you’re not permitted to stay, whether you have overstayed your work visa or haven’t been granted asylum, there must be a consequence,” he stated.

Responding to the development, the spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Abdur-Rahman Balogun, said there was no issue with the deportation. “There is no big deal in that. They have been deporting Nigerians before now… Once you run afoul of the law of the land, they have the right to deport,” he said.

This marks the continuation of Ireland’s resumed use of chartered deportation flights, which began again in February 2025. So far, 106 individuals have been deported using this method, and more operations are planned, as 2,403 deportation orders were issued in 2024.