The Republic of Ireland has deported no fewer than 35 Nigerian nationals, including five children, via a chartered flight that departed from Dublin Airport on Wednesday night and arrived in Nigeria on Thursday.
According to The Irish Mirror, the deportees consisted of 21 men, nine women, and five children. The flight, initially uninterrupted, made an unscheduled stopover due to a medical emergency on board, but all deportees were eventually returned to Nigeria.
Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, confirmed the deportation, stating, “I’m happy to say that all of them returned to Nigeria,” while reaffirming Ireland’s strict immigration stance. “Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced,” he added.
The specific reasons for the deportation were not disclosed by Irish authorities.
Meanwhile, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) said it had not been informed of the deportation. Speaking on Thursday, NiDCOM spokesperson Abdur-Rahman Balogun stated that the commission was unaware of the incident and had not received any official communication regarding the matter.
it’s well