No fewer than 42 South African nationals, who were living in Ireland illegally, have been deported back to Johannesburg, and arrived on Friday in a chartered flight.
The deportees included nine men, 18 women, and 15 children. The children were deported as part of their family units. They departed from Dublin Airport on Thursday afternoon and landed in South Africa on Friday morning.
According to reports from The Irish Times on June 19, 2026, two of the individuals included in the deportation group held criminal convictions in Ireland.
Ireland’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, addressed the situation, noting that the vast majority of South Africans residing in the country do so legally.
He emphasised that the Irish immigration system must remain “rules-based and robust”.
