Africa

Ireland deports 42 South Africans including 15 children on charter flight costing 735,000 euros Ireland has deported 42 South African nationals — including 15 children — on a chartered flight from Dublin to Johannesburg as part of a toughening immigration enforcement operation. The flight departed Dublin Airport at 3:30pm on Thursday June 18 and landed in Johannesburg at 4:00am Irish time on Friday morning. The group comprised nine men, 18 women and 15 minors — all children were part of family units and were not deported separately. Two of the 42 had criminal convictions in Ireland. The operation was carried out by Ireland's Garda National Immigration Bureau under deportation orders issued by Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan. The charter flight cost €735,000 excluding VAT for the return journey, provided by Air Partner Ltd. It is Ireland's fourth charter deportation flight of 2026 — with 130 people already removed in three earlier operations this year. In 2025, Ireland signed 4,700 deportation orders — a 96 percent increase on 2024 — with 2,108 orders already signed so far in 2026. Minister O'Callaghan said the vast majority of South Africans in Ireland are legally resident and positively contribute to society, but stressed deportation orders are an essential requirement for the immigration system to work effectively. The operation drew wide attention given ongoing tensions between South Africa and other African nations over xenophobic attacks within South Africa's own borders.

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