In a recent immigration enforcement action, Irish authorities have deported 35 Nigerian nationals among them five children via a chartered flight that departed Dublin Airport on Wednesday night and arrived in Nigeria on Thursday.
According to reports by the *Irish Mirror*, the group consisted of 21 men, nine women, and five children. An unscheduled stop had to be made during the flight due to a medical emergency, but Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, confirmed that all individuals eventually arrived safely in Nigeria.
While the Irish government did not detail the specific grounds for the deportations, Minister O’Callaghan reiterated the country’s stance on immigration control, stating, *“Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced.”*
The deportation, however, came as a surprise to Nigeria’s official diaspora body. Abdur-Rahman Balogun, spokesperson for the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), said the commission had not been informed about the removal of the Nigerian citizens from Ireland.
The lack of prior notice has raised concerns among observers about coordination between countries on deportation matters, particularly regarding the handling of children and families involved in such cases.
