Ireland Removes 24 Romanian Men With Criminal Convictions on Charter Flight: Re-Entry Bans of Up to 10 Years, 148 Removed So Far in 2026
Ireland's Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O'Callaghan announced that 24 Romanian men with criminal convictions were removed from Ireland on a chartered flight to Romania on Sunday, October 18, each issued with a re-entry ban of up to 10 years. It was Ireland's seventh such charter removal operation this year.
According to details released by the Department of Justice, the men, aged between 24 and 57, had all previously received custodial sentences in Ireland; 18 were transferred directly from prison custody and six had been arrested and detained beforehand. The flight departed Dublin Airport at 4:25 p.m. and arrived in Bucharest at 8:00 p.m. Irish time, accompanied by members of An Garda Síochána, Irish Prison Service staff, medical professionals, interpreters and a human rights observer. The Department put the cost of the aircraft at €182,270 excluding VAT. The removals were carried out under the EU Free Movement Directive, which allows member states to restrict the residence rights of EU citizens whose conduct represents a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to public policy or security.
"Restricting the right to freedom of movement of European citizens is not a measure I take lightly, but there must be consequences if a person's criminal behaviour means they should no longer be entitled to access this privilege," O'Callaghan said, adding that enforcing removal orders and using charter flights demonstrated his commitment to effective action. Minister of State Colm Brophy noted that the majority of Romanian nationals living in Ireland respect Irish law and make a positive contribution to Irish society.
Department figures show the operation brings to 148 the number of people removed from Ireland under the Free Movement Directive so far in 2026, compared with 56 in the whole of 2025; across seven charter operations, 245 people have been removed, including 91 EU citizens, all on grounds of criminality. (GSM, based on the Irish Department of Justice statement and wire reports)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图片：都柏林机场资料图，作者已声明置于公有领域（Wikimedia Commons）
