A total of 35 Nigerians have been deported back to the country on Wednesday in a chartered flight that departed from Dublin Airport, according to The Irish Times.

The deportation was conducted by the Garda National Immigration Bureau and involved the removal of 21 men, nine women, and five children.

An Garda Síochána said in a statement that it “continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy,” adding that operations of this nature form part of their role in enforcing Irish immigration law.

Deportation flights from Ireland resumed in February with the removal of 32 people on a chartered flight to Georgia at a cost of €102,476.

In May, another 39 individuals were removed to Tbilisi under the same arrangement.

“People coming to Ireland must follow the appropriate pathways for legal migration and these pathways must be adhered to and protected for our immigration system to work fairly and effectively. If a person’s application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State they must do so.

This is the third charter operation this year, he added.

“Removal operations of this nature send a clear message that there are consequences for people who remain in our country without permission and underscores this Government’s intention to protect the integrity of our immigration system.”

The Department of Justice has said that the availability of charter services has “significantly increased” the ability of An Garda Síochána to carry out removals where individuals are deemed to have no legal basis to remain in the State.