Ireland has deported 42 South African nationals living illegally in the country, spending a whopping €735,000 (about $845,000) on a charter flight operation to return them to Johannesburg.
The deportees, made up of nine men, 18 women and 15 children travelling as family units, were flown out of Dublin Airport on Thursday and arrived in South Africa on Friday morning.
The operation marks Ireland’s fourth major deportation exercise in 2026 as authorities intensify efforts to enforce immigration laws and tackle illegal residency.
According to reports by The Irish Times, the affected individuals were removed following deportation orders issued by the Garda National Immigration Bureau after they were found to be living in Ireland without legal status and failed to accept voluntary return options.
Irish authorities disclosed that two of the deportees had previous criminal convictions in Ireland.
South Africa is classified by Ireland as a safe country of origin, meaning its citizens can only qualify for asylum if they provide evidence showing a direct threat to their safety back home.
Defending the action, Irish Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, insisted that strict immigration enforcement was necessary to maintain public confidence in the country’s immigration system.
“Our immigration system must be rules-based and robust,” O’Callaghan said.
“The enforcement aspects of our laws, including deportation orders, are essential for the system to work effectively and to ensure public confidence.”
The minister noted that the €735,000 figure represents only the initial cost of the deportation operation, adding that the final amount would be known after all invoices are processed.
He further revealed that Ireland had already deported 130 people through three previous charter operations this year, including 67 European Union citizens removed on grounds of criminality.
The development comes amid growing migration tensions involving South Africa.
While South Africans are facing tougher immigration enforcement abroad, the country is also battling increasing anti-immigrant sentiment at home, with undocumented migrants reportedly fleeing communities ahead of a June 30 deadline issued by vigilante groups.
Reports indicate that more than 258 Nigerians have been evacuated from South Africa, while hundreds of others remain stranded across different provinces amid fears of xenophobic attacks, homelessness and hunger.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, has warned that the Federal Government may be forced to review options against over 120 South African companies operating in Nigeria if attacks and harassment targeting Nigerians continue.
Meanwhile, South African authorities have begun expressing concern over the economic consequences of the crisis.
South Africa’s Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, said artistes from the country are already losing concert bookings across Africa, while businesses owned by South Africans abroad are suffering setbacks due to growing anger over the treatment of migrants.
The latest deportation exercise is expected to fuel fresh debate over migration, border control and the treatment of foreign nationals both in Europe and Africa.
