More than 40 South African nationals deported overnight

Ellen O'Donoghue

A total of 42 South African nationals have been deported from Ireland overnight.

The nine men, 18 women and 15 children, who were all part of family units, left Dublin on a specially chartered flight at 3.30pm on Thursday, and arrived in Johannesburg at 4am Irish time on Friday.

It is the fourth deportation flight so far this year.

Two of the people deported had been convicted of offences in Ireland.

Three previous operations this year removed 130 people from the State, including 67 EU citizens on grounds of criminality.

Those deported were accompanied on the flight by gardaí, medical staff, an interpreter and a human rights observer.

In 2025, six charter operations were conducted, the Department of Justice said, which saw the deportation of 205 people.

To date this year, 2,108 deportation orders have been signed, and last year, 4,700 were signed, an increase of 96 per cent compared to 2024.

Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan said that the "vast majority" of South African nationals in Ireland are legally resident and positively contribute to society.

“Our immigration system must be rules-based and robust.

"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," he said.

The cost for the provision of the aircraft to carry out the deportation was €735,000, excluding VAT for a return flight.

Minister of State with responsibility for migration, Colm Brophy added that "it is necessary to recognise that Ireland welcomes migrants as they play an important role in our economic, social and community life.

"However, they must enter through the various legal pathways available and abide by the laws of the State."