Ireland increased immigration enforcement at fastest rate in EU last year, figures show

Ireland intensified its enforcement of immigration legislation at the fastest rate of any EU member state last year with the number of non-EU nationals returned to another country after being issued with an order to leave increasing almost fourfold.

New figures published by the European Commission reveal that the rate of increase by Ireland in unsuccessful international protection applicants being returned outside EU borders in 2024 was 265 per cent compared to the EU average of 17 per cent.

The latest figures show that 1,040 asylum seekers were returned from the Republic to somewhere outside the EU last year compared to 285 in 2023.

A majority of the 27 EU member states – a total of 14 countries – including Denmark, the Netherlands, Greece and Austria – recorded a decrease in the number of international protection applicants being removed from their respective countries after being issued with an order to leave.

The figures also highlight how enforcement activity by the Irish authorities of immigration rules has increased dramatically in the past two years as the numbers returned after being issued with orders to leave were 150 in 2021 and 190 in 2022.

The country of origin for most returns from Ireland in 2024 was Georgia with 200 followed by Brazil (160), Jordan (155), South Africa (85), Nigeria (45) and Albania (40).

A total of 135 cases were classified as “assisted forced returns” while the remainder were a combination of assisted and non-assisted voluntary returns.

The latest figures also show that Ireland recorded the second fastest rate among EU member states in issuing orders to leave to non-EU nationals last year.

The number of such orders issued by the Irish authorities more than trebled during 2024.

The figures show that 3,234 non-EU citizens were issued with orders to leave the Republic. compared to 1,060 the previous year – an annual increase of 206 per cent compared to the EU average of just over 4 per cent.

The number of such orders was just 160 in 2021 and 600 in 2022.

Only Spain had a higher rate of increase – issuing over 51,000 orders to asylum seekers to leave last year compared to around 10,600 in 2023.

Again, a majority of the 27 EU member states – a total of 15 countries – including France, Sweden, Austria and the Netherlands – recorded a decrease in numbers of asylum seekers being ordered to leave in 2024.

The latest figures also show that the number of non-EU citizens instructed to leave Ireland during 2024 increased as the year progressed going from 380 in the first quarter to 1,225 between last October and December.

Citizens from Georgia were the largest single group issued with orders to leave, accounting for 915 – more than a quarter of the total.

Other countries were Brazil (340), Algeria (300), Nigeria (180), South Africa (170), Jordan (165), Albania (160) and Pakistan (135).

Several of the countries have been designated as safe since 2022 including Albania, Algeria, Georgia and South Africa, while more including Brazil, India and Egypt were classified as safe during 2024.

The designation of a country as safe means asylum seekers from such nations will have their international protection applications dealt with within three months.

Safe countries of origin are those where it can be shown that there is generally and consistently no persecution, no torture or inhuman or degrading treatment, and no threat by reason of indiscriminate violence.

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice said it was a priority for Minister Jim O’Callaghan that Ireland’s immigration laws are “robust, fair, efficient and enforced.”

“The removal of persons who have been refused permission to remain is an essential requirement for the immigration system to work effectively and to ensure that the public has confidence in the application of our laws in this area,” the spokesperson said.

The Department of Justice noted that the Government had acted to significantly improve immigration enforcement measures and increase the removal of persons who had been refused permission to remain.

The spokesperson pointed out that a chartered flight to Georgia in February 2025 which removed 35 individuals who were subject to deportation orders was the first of further similar operations which will be carried out.

He added: “Enforced deportation operations are complex and costly. They often involve investigations, detection, detentions in custody, legal challenges, flight costs and confirmation with the return country that the person is their citizen.”

The Department of Justice said it was the preferred option to return people voluntarily and there was a programme in place to assist people to leave Ireland before a deportation order was issued.

It observed that a much larger number of people will have left the State without being escorted than official figures on deportations.

The spokesperson said a total of 480 individuals had already been removed from the jurisdiction since the start of 2025, including 68 who were deported.

In February, the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, claimed that too many people were seeking international protection “who are not entitled to it.”

Mr O’Callaghan noted that 80 per cent of applications in January 2025 were rejected in the first instance.

The minister acknowledged that Ireland needed an efficient and effective system for dealing with international protection applicants with 32,000 individuals already being provided with accommodation while their case was being processed.