The Irish government has deported 42 South African nationals who were residing illegally in the country, spending an estimated €735,000 (about $845,000) on the enforcement exercise.
According to The Irish Times, the deportees, comprising nine men, 18 women and 15 children travelling in family groups, were flown out of Dublin Airport on a chartered flight on Thursday and arrived in Johannesburg on Friday morning.
The operation marks Ireland’s fourth charter deportation flight of 2026.
The individuals were removed following deportation orders issued by the Garda National Immigration Bureau after they were found to be living unlawfully in Ireland and failed to take advantage of voluntary return options available to them.
Irish authorities also confirmed that two of the deportees had previous criminal convictions in the country.
Although South Africa is classified by Ireland as a safe country of origin, asylum seekers from the country are required to provide documentary evidence showing they face a direct threat to their safety before qualifying for international protection.
Irish Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan said most South Africans living in Ireland do so legally but stressed that immigration laws must be enforced to maintain public confidence in the system.
“Our immigration system must be rules-based and robust,” O’Callaghan said. “The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are an essential requirement for the system to work effectively and to ensure there is public confidence in the application of our legislation in this area.”
The minister noted that the €735,000 represents only the preliminary cost of the operation, with the final figure to be determined after the invoicing process is completed.
He added that the three previous charter deportation flights conducted this year removed 130 people from Ireland, including 67 European Union citizens deported on criminality grounds.
The development comes amid growing migration-related tensions involving South Africa.
While South African nationals abroad are facing stricter immigration enforcement measures, the country is also contending with domestic anti-immigration campaigns and rising xenophobic sentiments directed at undocumented foreign nationals.
Reports indicate that with unemployment exceeding 30 per cent, South Africa has witnessed increasing anti-immigrant unrest ahead of an unofficial June 30 deadline reportedly issued by local vigilante groups, prompting many undocumented African migrants to flee towards border posts over safety concerns.
The situation has also affected Nigerians living in South Africa. Although 258 Nigerians have been evacuated, more than 742 registered citizens are reportedly still stranded in different provinces, facing hardship due to delays in repatriation arrangements.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, recently warned that the Federal Government could consider constitutional and legislative measures against more than 120 South African companies operating in Nigeria if the harassment of Nigerians in South Africa persists.
Meanwhile, South African authorities have expressed concern over the economic consequences of the crisis. Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi said South African musicians have had concert bookings cancelled across Africa, while businesses owned by South Africans abroad have also suffered setbacks amid growing anger over the treatment of migrants.
