Ireland deports 42 South Africans on chartered flight

Forty-two South African nationals were deported from Ireland on a chartered flight that departed Dublin on Thursday, June 18, and arrived in Johannesburg on the morning of Friday, June 19. The group, which included nine men, 18 women, and 15 children, were removed on foot of deportation orders issued by the Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan. Officials confirmed the children were deported as part of their family units.

The operation was carried out by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Two of the individuals removed had been convicted of offences in Ireland. The flight was accompanied by members of An Garda Síochána, medical staff, an interpreter, and a human rights observer. The cost for the chartered aircraft alone was 735,000 euro, excluding VAT, for the return flight.

Minister O'Callaghan stated that deportation orders are an essential requirement for the immigration system to function effectively and to maintain public confidence. He emphasized that the vast majority of South Africans in Ireland are legally resident and contribute positively to society. This marks the fourth deportation charter flight of 2026, following three previous operations this year that...