Ministers Helen McEntee and Simon Harris overturned the most while they held the office, said Aontú, on foot of new figures.
“The Government is currently overturning more deportation orders in the State than they’re enforcing, which is incredible,” said Peadar Tóibín TD, leader of Aontú, citing figures from a reply to a parliamentary question.
“We want a fair and just system that is strict, that does provide support to those who are actually fleeing war and violence – but we need to make sure that there’s integrity in the system and it is enforced properly,” he said.
Mr Tóibín said that despite higly-publicised deportation flights, 127 people ordered to be deported had the decision quashed by the current minister, Jim O’Callaghan.
The total for the last ten years is 3,848, the Department admitted, reflecting the level of appeals against deportation.
“A person can make an application to stay and that can go on for years,” Mr Tóibín said.
“If they fail in that application, they can put in an appeal, which can take some time. If they fail in that appeal, they can put in for a judicial review, which can take more time.”
Yet if they fail in that judicial review, and receive a deportation order, in the majority of cases, it won’t be enforced, he added.
“Even in the cases where they are issued and received, a significant number will actually be overturned, the figures show.
“The Government is posing as being stricter and tougher on this issue, when in an actual fact, they’re not.
“There is still a lot of work for the Government to do on this issue.”
Deportation orders revoked by year: 2015 – 481
2016 – 360
2017 – 163
2018 – 318 2019 – 340
2020 – 301
2021 – 232
2022 – 586
2023 – 416
2024 – 524
Year to date – 127
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