Deportation orders for failed asylum seekers surged by 180% last year

Gordon Deegan

The number of deportation orders signed and issued to failed asylum applicants last year surged by 180 per cent to 2,403.

New figures provided by Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan also confirmed that 1,116 people departed from the State in 2024 under various mechanisms, including enforced deportation and voluntary return – an increase of 252 per cent on the 2023 total of 317.

In a written Dáil reply to Fianna Fáil TD John Lahart, Mr O’Callaghan said: “A charter service for large scale deportation flights is now in place and the first flights will take place in the coming months.”

The Minister said “charter flights will significantly increase capacity to conduct more enforced deportations”.

He said: “Alongside this, enforced deportations are continuing on commercial flights.”

In separate Dáil replies to Sinn Féin's Matt Carthy on the immigration issue, Mr O’Callaghan said a significant increase in the investment in the International Protection (IP) system has allowed for a major increase in processing capacity.

He said: “In 2024 the International Protection Office (IPO) delivered 14,156 first-decisions which was a 60 per cent increase on the 8,873 first-decisions made in 2023.

“The International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) closed 3,103 appeals, an 82 per cent increase on the 1,701 appeals completed in 2023.

“I intend to further invest in the immigration system to support an ambitious target of 25,000 first-decisions to be made by the IPO and the IPAT also aims to increase the number of appeals completed over the course of 2025 with further recruitment of Tribunal Members to increase decision making capacity currently ongoing.”

He said: “In 2024 there were 18,560 applications for International Protection made at the International Protection Office.

“In 2024, 8,814 appeals were accepted by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT)."

Mr O’Callaghan stated that accelerated processing was introduced in November 2022 and under the accelerated process, applicants currently receive a first decision within four months.

He said: “For remaining applicants under the normal procedure the median processing time is 18 months. The median processing time for International Protection Appeals to the end of January 2025 is 11.4 months.

Mr O’Callaghan stated that he is “fully committed to ensuring that Ireland’s International Protection system is robust and rules based, and that our borders are protected”.