Ireland has deported 42 South African nationals who were found to be living in the country without legal status, spending an estimated €735,000 (about $845,000) on the operation.
According to The Irish Times, the group, made up of nine men, 18 women and 15 children travelling as family units, was flown from Dublin Airport on a chartered flight on Thursday and arrived in Johannesburg on Friday morning.
The deportation marks Ireland’s fourth charter removal operation this year.
Irish authorities said the individuals were removed under deportation orders issued by the Garda National Immigration Bureau after they failed to regularise their stay or take advantage of voluntary return options.
Officials also confirmed that two of those deported had previous criminal convictions in Ireland.
Although South Africa is listed by Ireland as a safe country of origin, South African nationals seeking asylum must provide evidence that they face a direct threat to their safety at home before their applications can be considered.
Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, said the action was necessary to maintain confidence in the country’s immigration system.
“Our immigration system must be rules-based and effective,” O’Callaghan said. “The enforcement of deportation orders is an important part of ensuring the system works and that the public has confidence in how immigration laws are applied.”
He noted that the €735,000 figure represents an initial estimate, with the final cost expected to be determined after the invoicing process is completed.
The minister added that three previous deportation flights carried out in 2026 removed 130 people from Ireland, including 67 European Union citizens who were deported on grounds related to criminal offences.
The development highlights a growing migration challenge for South Africa. While some of its citizens are facing tougher immigration enforcement abroad, the country is also dealing with rising anti-immigrant sentiment at home.
South Africa has witnessed increasing tensions over undocumented migration, fuelled in part by unemployment levels above 30 percent.
Vigilante groups have reportedly issued an unofficial June 30 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave, prompting many foreign nationals to flee towards border areas over fears for their safety.
The situation has also affected Nigerians living in South Africa. While 258 Nigerians have been evacuated, more than 742 others remain stranded across several provinces, struggling with homelessness and hunger due to delays in repatriation arrangements.
Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, recently warned that the Federal Government could be forced to review the operations of more than 120 South African companies doing business in Nigeria if reports of harassment and targeted attacks against Nigerians in South Africa continue.
South African authorities have also expressed concern about the economic fallout from the crisis.
Justice and Constitutional Development Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi said South African artistes have started losing concert bookings across Africa, while businesses owned by South Africans abroad are facing growing backlash linked to the treatment of migrants within the country.
