In a move that has drawn widespread concern, the Irish government deported 35 Nigerian nationals, including five children, on June 4, 2025. The deportees, made up of 21 men, nine women, and five children, were returned via a chartered flight from Dublin Airport to Lagos. Authorities said the operation was part of intensified immigration enforcement, coordinated by the Garda National Immigration Bureau and Ireland’s Department of Justice.
Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, defended the action, stating that deportation remains a last resort after all legal avenues for voluntary return have been exhausted. He stressed the importance of adhering to formal immigration pathways for the integrity of Ireland’s legal system. However, critics argue the timing and manner of the deportation, particularly involving school-aged children, lacked compassion and transparency.
One of the most emotional reactions came from St. James’s Primary School in Dublin, where two of the deported children were enrolled. The school principal described the community’s heartbreak, highlighting that the children’s mother had an immigration appointment scheduled in July. The sudden removal disrupted not just one family but an entire classroom of peers who were reportedly in tears as their friends were taken away without warning.