A total of 35 Nigerian nationals, including five children, were deported from the Republic of Ireland this week aboard a chartered flight that left Dublin Airport on Wednesday and arrived in Nigeria on Thursday.
According to The Irish Mirror, the group consisted of 21 men, nine women, and five children. The deportation flight experienced an unscheduled stop due to a medical emergency on board, but all passengers eventually arrived in Nigeria, confirmed Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan.
Speaking on the deportation, O’Callaghan said, “Ireland has a rules-based immigration system. It is important that those rules are robust and enforced.” He did not provide specific details about the reasons for the deportation of the individuals involved.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s official agency overseeing the welfare of its diaspora citizens, the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), stated it was not informed about the deportation. NiDCOM spokesperson Abdur-Rahman Balogun disclosed that the commission had no prior knowledge of the incident.
