DEPORTATIONS ORDERS were made in respect of 92 children last year by the Department of Justice & Equality last year. 

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has revealed that over the past five years deportation orders have been signed concerning 385 children, according to new figures. 

The 92 Deportation Orders concerning children last year was an increase of four on the 2017 total of 88.

In a written Dáil reply to Green Party TD Catherine Martin TD, Minister Flanagan also stated that in 2018, 152 children also were granted humanitarian right to remain here.

Over the past five years, a total of 1,487 children have been granted humanitarian leave to remain and this occurs where a decision is taken to not make a Deportation Order.

It is unclear, however, how many of the 92 children who were issued with orders last year – or the 385 issued with deportation orders over the past five years – have been deported from Ireland or have left Ireland voluntarily with their parents.

In a separate Dáil reply, Minister Flanagan told Fine Gael TD Tony McLoughlin that last year, there was a total of 1,187 deportation orders signed for adults and children and 4,821 signed over the past five years.

However, Minister Flanagan stated that only 163 people – representing 15% of the Deportation Orders signed in 2018 – were deported last year.

The numbers deported last year represents a 16% increase on the 140 deported in 2017.

However, the 2018 total is down sharply on the 458 deported in 2016 and the 251 deported in 2015.

Minister Flanagan has previously confirmed that last year, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS), spent €906,504 on air travel with the vast majority relating to air travel for those subject to deportation or removal orders and transfers and for accompanying Garda escorts.

Minister Flanagan stated that a person who is subject of a Deportation Order is legally obliged to remove themselves from the state and thereafter remain outside the State. 

He stated that it is the case that in this jurisdiction that significant numbers of people who are the subject of deportation orders leave voluntarily following receipt of the order. 

He stated: “As exit checks from the State are not in use, it is not possible to indicate with any degree of precision the numbers who may be in this category but all the available evidence suggests that the number is likely to be considerable.”

Minister Flanagan stated that enforced removals are only carried out as a last resort and are carried out in conjunction with the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).