Gardaí have arrested five people who are facing Deportation Orders for illegally living in Ireland.

All five were arrested in the Dublin region and are now in custody pending their deportation.

Gardaí said they were arrested under Operation Fern which targets “persons who are illegally residing in the State and are the subject of Deportation Orders”.

In a statement Detective Chief Superintendent Aidan Minnock said a Deportation Order is “an order from the Minister for Justice to leave the State”.

“Prior to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) receiving these Deportation Orders, there has been significant engagement with each person by the Department of Justice, which includes the offer of a supported voluntary return package to their country of origin.

“Persons subject to Deportation Orders have declined supported voluntary return, and are now illegal in the State.”

Last month, the Department of Justice said 68 people had been deported from the State so far this year.

A further 227 left the country voluntarily after receiving deportation orders.

At the time, some 860 Deportation Orders had been issued by the Justice Minister.

That came after criticism from some opposition TDs over the low number of deportations recorded in Ireland.