Government ordered almost 900 refugees to leave Ireland but can't say how many left

A total of 857 international protection applicants were ordered to leave Ireland last year but the government does not know whether or not they left.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee confirmed their deportation order papers were signed in each case. However, it is only known for certain that 153 international protection applicants who were refused asylum actually left the country.

It was also confirmed by Minister McEntee that 105 voluntarily returned to their home country. A further 34 were forcibly removed by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) which enforces the government's deportation orders.

Neither Minister McEntee nor the state can say what has happened to the other 704 unsuccessful applicants.

Minister McEntee said in reply to written questions from Deputy Alan Kelly that the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) is responsible for carrying out deportations.

"Where a person's application for international protection is refused, the person concerned is advised of this in writing and provided with the option of taking up a voluntary return arrangement," Minister McEntee said. 

"Where this option is not taken up, a deportation order is issued in respect of that person. The numbers of Deportation Orders effected by GNIB does not take account of individuals who have left the State without informing my Department. It is the case that many individuals who are subject to Deportation Orders leave the State without notifying the relevant authorities and this particular category of individual is difficult to quantify in the absence of exit checks," she said.

The minister also said the total cost of deportations of individuals from the State was €494,829 for 2023.

This included flight costs and some accommodation costs were required for all deportations and removals including Dublin 3 transfers, EU removals as well as IP deportations.