(MENAFN) During a press conference near Brussels Airport, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary expressed the airline's willingness to aid European governments in deporting illegal migrants, as reported by Politico on Tuesday. O'Leary's remarks came as he launched a campaign to promote voter participation in the upcoming European parliamentary elections.
O'Leary stated that Ryanair had no inherent objections to the idea of assisting in deportations if they were legal and in accordance with European governments' regulations. He emphasized that if European authorities were lawfully deporting individuals who had entered illegally, particularly to countries like Albania, Ryanair would be willing to provide transportation for such flights.
Addressing concerns about potential reputational damage to the airline, O'Leary dismissed such worries, asserting that Ryanair would be content to operate flights for deportation purposes if the process was carried out appropriately by European governments.
The issue of migration has been contentious in Ireland, which has experienced a significant influx of asylum seekers from Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine. Immigration to the country surged by 31% in the year leading up to April 2023, exacerbating the housing shortage, which is among the most severe in the EU.
Meanwhile, the United Kingdom has been implementing stricter immigration measures following a record high in 2022. Many asylum seekers have been utilizing Northern Ireland as a gateway to enter Ireland from the UK, particularly in response to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's proposal to deport illegal migrants to Rwanda. This influx has led to the emergence of makeshift refugee camps in parts of the Irish capital, with reports indicating over 100 tents lining a city center canal in recent weeks.
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