Catering on a charter deportation flight from Ireland to Pakistan was revised after pork sausages were included in a breakfast served to deportees, according to a human-rights monitoring report.
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The meal was provided on the first charter flight returning migrants from Ireland to Pakistan on 23 September 2025. The aircraft carried 24 men and was accompanied by a monitoring official, members of An Garda Síochána, a doctor and an interpreter.
The monitor was appointed by Ireland’s Department of Justice (Ireland) to observe the operation, report on the treatment of returnees and the use of restraints, and to highlight any concerns or examples of good practice.
Monitoring reports on several deportation flights were later obtained by The Irish Times after the newspaper successfully appealed an initial refusal by the department to release them under Freedom of Information rules.
Food provision questioned
The report noted that the operation overall was conducted humanely and with respect for the “rights and dignity” of those being deported.
However, concerns were raised about the food served during the Pakistan flight. Garda personnel reported that the meals were of a lower standard than expected and that serving pork sausages as part of a full Irish breakfast was inappropriate given that Pakistan has a majority Muslim population.
The monitor said it had been understood that halal food would be available for passengers, but the catering arrangements had not specified this in the flight briefing.
Following the incident, catering arrangements for deportation flights were changed.
Security measures during flight
The men deported on the Pakistan flight had spent the previous night in three prisons before being transported to the aircraft. Two individuals had been assessed as high risk, one due to previous criminal offending and another because of behaviour in prison. Several garda officers were assigned to accompany each deportee.
During boarding, one of the men raised concerns that he was being filmed by a garda who was holding a mobile phone pointed in the group’s direction. The man eventually boarded the aircraft after discussions with officers, and the report confirmed that recording had been taking place.
After the plane landed in Islamabad, two deportees returned to the aircraft in an agitated state. One said he had not received his mobile phone, while the other reported that his luggage was missing.
Officials explained that the belongings were being handed over to the Garda team by the Irish Prison Service and assured the men that the items would be returned. The report noted that delays in returning personal belongings have been a recurring issue on deportation flights.
Other deportation operations
The documents also detail another charter flight that returned 52 people to Georgia on 3 November 2025. Those on board included 35 men, seven women and three families with children aged between five months and 17 years.
They were accompanied by 113 garda officers and two support staff.
During that operation, one man was restrained on the ground and handcuffed before being carried on to the aircraft by officers. The monitor said they heard sounds of a struggle as the man was escorted from a van.
A “soft mat” was placed on the ground near the vehicle and the man was laid on it face-up while being restrained by several officers before he was lifted and taken onto the plane.
According to the report, the man had been demanding access to his mobile phone, which was stored in the aircraft hold.
Oversight and findings
Despite the incidents noted in the reports, the monitor concluded that deportation operations were generally carried out in a humane manner and with respect for those being removed from the country.
The monitoring system forms part of the oversight arrangements used by the Irish government during charter deportation flights, with reports intended to highlight issues and recommend improvements where necessary.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 20 May 2026
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