23 Romanian citizens have been deported from Ireland on a charter flight on grounds of criminality. The removal of the Romanian nationals was confirmed on Monday evening by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan.
The men were aged between 22 and 49 years old, and all had received custodial sentences for a range of offences. They were removed from the State by charter flight this afternoon, with the charter flight having left Dublin Airport on Monday at 14.25, arriving in Bucharest this evening.
Removal orders were made in accordance with the Free Movement Directive, the Department of Justice said. Re-entry bans of up to 10 years have also been applied to prevent their return to Ireland. Such orders can be made on the grounds that the individual’s personal conduct represents a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society.
“The removal from the State of convicted criminals and those who are a danger to public safety are prioritised in consultation with An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service. To date this year, 22 individuals have been removed from Ireland under the Directive on commercial airlines,” the Department said.
Minister Jim O’Callaghan said in a statement: “The right to freedom of movement is among the most fundamental rights and freedoms provided to European citizens that we strive to protect. Securing this right for our citizens is one of the most important achievements of the European Union, offering people the opportunity to work, study and live in 31 European countries, and assuring their protections to do so.
“Restricting the right to freedom of movement is not a measure I take lightly, but there must be consequences if a person’s behaviour means they should no longer be entitled to access this privilege. Action will be taken if our laws are not respected and upheld and this includes enforcing removal orders and sending people home.
“It is important to acknowledge that the vast majority of the Romanian community are law-abiding and hardworking people who make a positive contribution to Irish society.
“I want to thank the members of An Garda Síochána and my officials for their work in conducting today’s operation,” Mr O’Callaghan added.
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