Shannon Airport Used in US Deportation Flights, Raising Concerns in Ireland
Shannon Airport in western Ireland has become a focal point of controversy after revelations that it was used as a refueling stop for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) flights deporting Palestinians to Israel. The flights, operated using a private jet owned by Gil Dezer, a prominent donor to former US President Donald Trump, have sparked outrage among Irish politicians and human rights advocates.
The flights departed the United States on January 21st and February 1st, both making scheduled stops at Shannon Airport for refueling. According to a Guardian investigation, passengers onboard the flights reported being shackled at the wrists and ankles during the journey. Upon arrival in Tel Aviv, they were reportedly transported to the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
The Irish government has stated that because the flights were for “non-traffic purposes” – meaning they did not pick up or drop off passengers within Ireland – they did not require prior approval from the country’s transport department. However, this explanation has failed to quell concerns among opposition politicians.
Duncan Smith, foreign affairs spokesperson for the Labour party, condemned the use of Shannon Airport for these deportations as “absolutely reprehensible.” He called on the Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) and Minister for Transport to intervene and prevent future occurrences, stating, “Ireland cannot in any way be complicit in these ICE flights.”
Roderic O’Gorman, leader of the Green party, described the situation as “deeply disturbing,” expressing dismay that Shannon Airport was being used to “facilitate the cruel actions of Donald Trump’s ICE.”
Patricia Stephenson, foreign affairs spokesperson for the Social Democrats, urged the government to clarify whether it knowingly facilitated the flights, emphasizing that a failure to do so would still constitute complicity in human rights abuses. She told the Irish Times that the human rights of those deported had been violated.
The private jet used for the deportations is owned by Gil Dezer, whose family property company has developed several Trump-branded residential towers in Miami. Dezer has publicly expressed his admiration for the former president, claiming a 20-year friendship. The aircraft was chartered through Journey Aviation, a Florida-based company frequently used by US authorities to source private jets. Journey Aviation declined to comment on the flights to Israel.
Human Rights First (HRF) has been tracking the use of Dezer’s jet for deportation flights since October. According to HRF, prior to the flights to Israel, the plane had been used to transport detainees to Kenya, Liberia, Guinea, and Eswatini.
One of the individuals deported on the first flight, Maher Awad, a 24-year-old originally from the West Bank who has lived in the US for nearly a decade, described a harrowing experience. Awad, who has a partner and baby in Michigan, recounted being “dropped off like animals on the side of the road” after arriving in the West Bank, forced to seek assistance from local residents.
In an email to the Guardian, Dezer stated he was “never privy to the names” of those who travelled on his jet when it was privately chartered, nor the purpose of the flights. He claimed he is only notified of the dates of use. He did not respond to further inquiries regarding the Trump administration’s use of his jet to deport Palestinians through Israel.
Aviation industry sources estimate the cost of the flights to ICE to be between $400,000 and $500,000. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) did not respond to specific questions about the deportation flights to Israel, but a spokesperson affirmed that “If a judge finds an illegal alien has no right to be in this country, we are going to remove them. Period.”
