Gardaí are considering further mass deportations to Romania of members of the Roma community.
The move follows the repatriation last month of 100 Roma who had been living on a roundabout on the M50 in Dublin and who would have been deported had they not agreed to return to Romania voluntarily.
A Garda working group has been established to monitor the activities of members of the community whom gardaí believe have been engaged in crime and anti-social activity.
Between 50 and 60 members of the community have been identified by gardaí in Dublin as engaging regularly in a range of anti-social activity in the city centre such as organised begging, shoplifting and pickpocketing.
Their activities are being monitored by members of the working group. If they are deported, their family members could also be deported with them.
They can be deported under the EU Freedom of Movement of Persons Regulations as long as the Minister for Justice believes their continued presence in the State is "contrary to public policy" or would endanger public health or public security.
The Garda working group is being co-ordinated by the Garda National Immigration Bureau and it includes gardaí from the main Garda stations in Dublin's city centre including Pearse Street and Store Street.
Reliable Garda sources said while the 50-60 people already identified are being actively considered for deportation, a much larger number of Roma may also be deported in coming months.
These include any members of the community who arrived here after January 1st and have been in the Republic for 90 days or longer but have no legitimate means of income or support.
Pavee Point, the Travellers' group which gave assistance to the Roma repatriated last month, said that while gardaí were entitled to carry out deportations, they should be done in a dignified and professional manner.
Its assistant director, Martin Collins, said: "It's also important to distinguish between Roma who have been here since before the start of the year and are living here legally, and those who arrived after January 1st and can be deported if they have no income after three months."
The 90-day rule, and not any suspected involvement in anti-social behaviour, should dictate who is deported, he said.
Most Roma living here since before Romania and Bulgaria joined the EU in January were granted refugee status or were permitted to stay on humanitarian grounds.
Similar deportation moves against other EU citizens are expected if the Roma deportations go ahead, with Romanians and Bulgarians likely to be the groups most affected.
