THE STATE DEPORTED 33 EU citizens on “grounds of criminality” today, Minister Jim O’Callaghan announced this evening. 

Seventeen Polish citizens, made up of 16 men and one woman, and 16 Lithuanian citizens, made up of 15 men and one woman, were deported in a removal operation.

They have all been issued with re-entry bans of up to 10 years to prevent them from returning to Ireland.

Those deported were aged from their early 20s to early 60s and all had received custodial sentences “for a range of criminal offences”.

The returnees on this flight were accompanied by garda personnel, medical staff, two interpreters and a human rights observer. 

The charter flight departed Dublin Airport at 12.30pm and arrived in Warsaw, Poland, before it then travelled to Vilnius, Lithuania.

The costs for the provision of the aircraft for this operation are €122,000 for a return flight.

Announcing the removal of the EU citizens, O’Callaghan said: “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.

“I will take action if our laws are not upheld and this includes enforcing removal orders for individuals who are a danger to society and to the people of Ireland.

“It is important to remember that the majority of Polish and Lithuanian nationals’ resident in Ireland respect our laws and contribute positively to society.”

Last year, a total of 56 individuals were removed from Ireland under the Free Movement Directive.