Ireland deports 35 Nigerians aboard chartered flight for breaching their immigration rules

IRELAND has deported 35 Nigerians including five children using a chartered flight from Dublin to fly them to Lagos for breaching immigration rules that made them illegal immigrants in the country.

Last Wednesday, the Nigerians, comprising 21 men, nine women, and five children, were flown out of Ireland and landed in Nigeria on Thursday. Irish justice minister Jim O’Callaghan, said he was happy to say that all of them returned to Nigeria despite an unscheduled stopover due to a medical incident on board.

While the Irish government did not give a specific reason for the deportation of the Nigerian nationals, Mr O’Callaghan pointed out that they breached the country's immigration rules. He pointed out that the Irish government has an obligation to enforce its laws.

Mr O’Callaghan said: “Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced.”

Normally, when Nigerians are deported in such large numbers like this, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (Nidcom) sends a team to welcome them at the airport. This time around, however, Nidcom spokesperson, Abdur-Rahman Balogun said the agency was not aware of the deportation.