Ireland Steps Up Deportations of Afghanistani Nationals

DID Press: Ireland has issued 183 deportation orders for Afghanisatni nationals over the past two years, most of whom fled their country after the Taliban’s return to power, Ireland Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said.

According to new figures released by the minister, a total of 201 deportation orders have been issued for Afghans since 2021, including 147 men, 54 women and 37 minors.

Of these, 123 deportation orders were issued in 2025, compared with 60 in 2024 and only 18 between 2021 and 2023, marking a sharp increase this year.

O’Callaghan said most cases involved individuals who failed to cooperate with the international protection process — such as not attending interviews or completing residency applications. “Under Section 51 of the International Protection Act 2015, the minister is obliged to issue deportation orders in such cases,” he added.

Despite the stricter deportation policy, Ireland has also relocated more than 700 vulnerable Afghans through its Irish Refugee Protection Programme (IRPP) and humanitarian admission schemes. These include human rights defenders, women’s rights activists, LGBTQ individuals, judges and journalists.

The minister also referred to the Afghan Admission Programme (AAP), launched in 2021 to reunite Afghan families in Ireland. The scheme, which closed in March 2022, received 532 applications covering 1,549 people. As of September 2025, the government has approved 339 applications benefiting over 984 individuals.

One condition of the programme, O’Callaghan noted, is that sponsors must demonstrate financial capacity to support family members until they become self-sufficient.