Ryanair’s CEO Michael O’Leary declared during a press conference held near Brussels Airport that the Irish budget carrier is ready and willing to assist European governments in deporting illegal migrants that have flooded European countries lately.
Out of control illegal migration has become a very contentious topic in Ireland due to the significant increase in asylum seekers from Africa and the Middle East. Between April 2022 and April 2023, immigration to Ireland surged by 31%, exacerbating already the most severe housing shortage in EU.
The United Kingdom has been implementing stricter immigration policies following a peak of illegal migrant flood in 2022, so currently many asylum seekers are using Northern Ireland as a gateway to enter Ireland from the UK, following British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s proposal to deport undocumented illegal migrants to Rwanda. In recent weeks, parts of Dublin have been transformed into refugee camps, with more than 100 tents lining the city center canal.
While referencing Sunak’s proposals last month, O’Leary reportedly expressed his willingness to operate deportation flights to the Central African nation, provided that the company possessed appropriate aircraft. However, this week, he clarified that Ryanair is unable to travel to Rwanda due to the distance being too far for their flights. Currently, the airline’s sole African destination is Morocco.
Nevertheless, O’Leary mentioned that Ryanair can still operate flights to countries like Albania. Apparently, the UK government also has an agreement with Albania to deport Albanian illegal migrants back there. In February, Tirana also reached an agreement with Italy to hold numerous illegal migrants who had attempted to enter the country.
According to O’Leary, the airline does not have any fundamental problem with deportation issue. The Ryanair CEO mentioned that if European governments are lawfully deporting individuals who have entered the country illegally, and if the airline can offer assistance, then there is no problem. O’Leary apparently is also not worried about the potential harm to the airline’s reputation due to its involvement in deportations. He stated that if European governments are carrying out deportations in a proper manner, then Ryanair is willing to operate those flights.
Ryanair is an Irish ultra low-cost carrier group headquartered in Swords, Dublin, Ireland. The company includes the subsidiaries Ryanair DAC, Malta Air, Buzz, Lauda Europe and Ryanair UK. Since its establishment in 1984, Ryanair has grown from a small airline, flying the short journey from Waterford to London Gatwick, into Europe’s largest carrier. There have been over 19,000 people working for the company, most employed and contracted by agencies to fly on Ryanair aircraft.Renowned for its minimalist approach to air travel and unconventional cost-cutting techniques, the company has proposed several audacious ideas in the past. These include urging flight attendants to shed pounds, eliminating aircraft toilets to make room for additional seats, requiring passengers to handle their own baggage, and implementing a “fat tax” for overweight travelers.
O’Leary also used the opportunity to launch a campaign aimed at encouraging voting in the upcoming European parliamentary elections during the press conference.
