A total of 34 men were deported from Ireland to Poland and Lithuania on Sunday on the grounds of criminality, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan has said.According to the Minister, the charter removal flight had 22 Polish and 12 Lithuanian nationals on board, ranging in age from mid-twenties to mid-sixties.Re-entry bans of up to 10 years have been applied to prevent their return to Ireland.All those removed as part of this operation had received custodial sentences for a range of criminal offences, the department said.The flight departed Dublin Airport on Sunday, 24 May 2026 and landed in Warsaw, Poland at about 15.45 Irish time, and subsequently arrived in Vilnius, Lithuania at about 17:50 Irish time.Sunday’s flight brings the total number of people removed under the Free Movement Directive to 88 so far in 2026. This is up from the 56 individuals deported in 2025.Under this directive, the Minister for Justice can issue orders for both removal and exclusion of an EU citizen or their family member who represents a danger to public policy, security or health.The Department of Justice said the charter was conducted in “close co-operation with An Garda Síochána and the Irish Prison Service”.The costs for the provision of the aircraft for this operation are €184,465.00 (ex VAT) for a return flight.Garda personnel, medical staff, interpreters and a human rights observer accompanied the returnees.Speaking about the charter, the Minister said European citizens have the right to freedom of movement and restrictions are “not something I take lightly”.“But there must be consequences for people whose behaviour means they should no longer enjoy this privilege,” O’Callaghan said.“I will take action if our laws are not upheld. This includes enforcing removal orders for people involved in criminality and for those who pose a danger to society. Today’s operation underpins my commitment in this area.”O’Callaghan said the “vast majority” of Polish and Lithuanian nationals in Ireland “respect our laws and are valuable members of our society”.“I would like to extend my thanks to the members of An Garda Síochána, as well as officials from my Department, for their dedicated work in completing this operation.”The number of people removed from the country under this directive has increased significantly in recent years.According to the Department, in 2023 there were 21 people whose removal from the State was enforced by the Garda National Immigration Bureau, dropping slightly to 18 in 2024 before rising to 56 last year. This year’s figure to date has already surpassed the 2025 12-month total.[ Pork sausages served on flight deporting 24 men from Ireland to PakistanOpens in new window ]