DUBLIN, Ireland: Ireland's Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan, has said that it would not be possible to run a fair immigration system if children could not be deported.

He believes that not allowing the deportation of children would lead to a significant increase in people coming to Ireland to seek asylum.

He made these comments after five children and nine women were among 35 people deported from Ireland to Nigeria on Wednesday night. This was the third time this year that a special flight was used for deportations, costing the government 324,714 euros. O'Callaghan said it was "value for money."

He admitted that deporting people, especially children, is not a pleasant task but said it's a necessary part of managing immigration. "To have a working immigration system, there must be consequences for staying in Ireland illegally," he said. That includes people who stay after their visa expires or who have applied for asylum and been refused.

O'Callaghan responded to public criticism about children being deported. He said if Ireland introduced a rule banning the deportation of children, it would make the whole system unworkable. "People would know that if they came to Ireland with children, they could stay no matter what," he said. "That would make us different from other European countries and could lead to more people coming here."

He added that Ireland already has a fair system where people seeking asylum are allowed to live in the community and integrate while their applications are being considered. In some other countries, asylum seekers are not allowed to mix with the broader population.

However, he stressed that if someone is refused asylum, they must leave. "That's the point of having a system," he said. "If there's no consequence, then why have the system at all?"

He also said people must obey the law. "If you receive a deportation order, you must follow it. It is not just a piece of paper. It means you have to leave the country, even if you have children."

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin politician Eoin Ó Broin said the immigration system in Ireland needs to be more caring and based on human rights. He said people should not have to wait three, four, or five years to get a decision on their asylum application.

Ó Broin agreed that if someone is refused asylum, even after an appeal, they should return to their home country. But he added that this must be done in a "compassionate and safe" way.

He criticized the current system, saying that people are living in poor-quality accommodations and that the decisions take too long. He said the government relies too much on private companies and does not do enough to support people waiting for decisions.

"We will keep telling the government that the system needs to improve," Ó Broin said. "It must be fair and efficient. But in the end, if someone is refused asylum, the decision has to be carried out."