Ireland deports 43 Georgian nationals to Tbilisi on 225,000 euro charter flight

Flight details and passenger breakdown

On Sunday, 20 September 2026, a chartered aircraft carrying 43 Georgian nationals departed Dublin Airport at 1:50pm and touched down in the Georgian capital of Tbilisi at 6:40pm Irish time. The passenger group comprised 33 adult men, seven adult women, and three children who travelled together within a single family group. The removal was conducted by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, working alongside the Department of Justice and the Irish Prison Service to execute the logistics. Private charter provider Air Partner Ltd operated both the outbound removal leg and the return flight at a contracted cost of €225,575, excluding VAT. State personnel accompanying the returnees aboard the aircraft included members of An Garda Síochána, medical personnel, an interpreter, and an independent human rights observer to monitor the process.

Legal grounds and criminal convictions

Immigration authorities carried out the removals following statutory orders signed by Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O'Callaghan. Forty-two of the Georgian nationals were returned to Georgia under deportation orders issued under the provisions of the Immigration Act, 1999. In addition, one man was removed on foot of a return decision issued under the newly enacted International Protection Act, 2026. Gardaí stated that four of the deported men had previously been convicted of criminal offences within Ireland. An Garda Síochána noted that the removal of convicted offenders supports active law enforcement operations being carried out nationwide. Deportation orders constitute binding legal requirements to leave the state, applying to individuals without lawful permission to remain.

Annual charter totals and state policy

Sunday's flight to Tbilisi represents the sixth charter deportation operation carried out by the Irish government during 2026. With the completion of this flight, the total number of people removed from Ireland on charter flights in 2026 reached 221. By comparison, Irish authorities ran six charter operations throughout 2025, which removed 182 people subject to deportation orders and 23 European Union nationals subject to removal orders. The Department of Justice confirmed that further charter deportation operations are scheduled to take place across the remainder of 2026. Departmental policy allows individuals without legal residency or with rejected international protection claims to apply for state-assisted voluntary return before deportation orders are finalized.

Government response and migration remarks

Following the completion of the flight on Sunday evening, government officials issued statements explaining the role of enforcement within Irish migration policy. Jim O'Callaghan defended the charter operations while stating that most Georgian citizens in Ireland are living and working in full compliance with the law.

Deportations play an essential role in ensuring our immigration system is not undermined and that people follow the pathways already in place for legal migration.

O'Callaghan added that maintaining rules-based procedures provides the public with confidence in the integrity of state systems. He reiterated that voluntary return remains the state's preferred option for individuals whose asylum applications have been refused or withdrawn, though this mechanism can only be accessed before an official deportation order is issued. Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy similarly described the operational necessity of enforced returns.

Deportation operations are complex for all those involved but an important and necessary part of our immigration and asylum procedures.

The Department of Justice confirmed that additional deportation flights will proceed as planned over the coming months.