A sex offender with 19 convictions has been deported to the Democratic Republic of Congo. 

Chico Makamda was serving a sentence at the Midlands Prison for multiple convictions for sex offences, false imprisonment and theft in Ireland. 

Makamda was deported yesterday by the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and with the assistance of the Department of Justice. 

Given his criminal background, his deportation was a “priority operation” for GNIB. 

Originally from Angola with previous addresses in Ireland including Dublin and Waterford, Makamda was sentenced in 2019 to seven and a half years with the final two and a half years suspended on condition that he leave the country upon his release. 

After his release in 2022, he failed to leave Ireland and failed to notify Gardaí of his address twice. 

He was jailed for another two years, with the condition that he would leave the country within 14 days of his release. 

Convict deported

This is the first removal by An Garda Síochána to the Democratic Republic of Congo and comes after a significant amount of engagement. 

Head of GNIB Detective Chief Superintendent Aidan Minnock said the deportation "is an example of how the Irish rules-based immigration system works to ensure high-risk persons are prioritised”. 

“Effective action is taken to ensure the people of Ireland are kept safe from recidivist offenders,” he said. 

“Work like this is ongoing every day to ensure Ireland is a safe place to live.” 

Officials from the Democratic Republic of Congo facilitated obtaining travel documents, visas and the coordination of escort arrangements.