Catering on deportation flights was changed after pork sausages were included as part of an Irish breakfast served on a forced return flight to Pakistan, according to a human rights monitoring report. The first charted deportation flight transporting 24 adult men to the country, which has a majority Muslim population, took place on September 23rd, 2025. A human rights monitor travelled on board along with gardaí, a doctor and an interpreter. A monitor is appointed by the Department of Justice for each deportation flight to report on the operation, treatment of returnees, use of restraint and to make recommendations or note exceptionally good practice. A series of monitoring reports were obtained by The Irish Times following an appeal against an initial refusal by the department to release them under Freedom of Information legislation.The reports noted that “overall” the operations were conducted humanely and with respect for “the rights and dignity of the returnees”.On the September 23rd flight, two meals were served and Garda feedback was that “the quality of the food provided was of a lower standard than expected and that the serving of pork sausages as part of a full Irish breakfast was inappropriate”. The monitor understood halal food would be available but it was “not specified in the flight brief”. The men on the charter to Pakistan were held in three prisons the night before. Two were assessed as “high risk” – one due to previous offending and one because of behaviour in prison. A number of gardaí were assigned to each deportee. As they were being escorted on to the plane, one man was concerned he was being filmed by a garda who was pointing a mobile phone in their direction. He was persuaded to board and it was “confirmed that recording was taking place”, the report notes. [ Deportation flight carried more than triple number of gardaí as failed asylum seekersOpens in new window ]Shortly after disembarking in Islamabad, two of the men returned to the plane “agitated”. One had not got his mobile phone back and the other was missing his luggage. These were being given to the Garda team by the Irish Prison Service, but the men were assured their belongings would be returned.Deportees’ belongings not always being returned is a recurring issue in the reports. A total of 52 people were returned to Georgia on flight on November 3rd last – 35 men, seven women and three families comprising mothers with children ranging from five months to 17 years. They were accompanied by 113 gardaí and two support staff.An adult male was restrained on the ground and handcuffed before being carried on to the plane by gardaí. The monitor said they “heard sounds of a struggle” as a man was being removed from a van to board. A “soft mat” was brought to the van “and almost immediately the returnee was removed form the van and placed on the mat, face up, lying on his back ... restrained by a number of gardaí”. He was carried “face up in a prone position ... and taken on to the aircraft”. He had been demanding access to his phone which was in the aircraft hold.