42 South Africans deported from Ireland, costing state R330k per person
Ireland spent nearly R14 million deporting 42 South Africans in a charter operation as immigration enforcement ramps up.
Black News 
Ireland has deported 42 South African nationals living in the country illegally, with the operation costing the Irish state at least €735 000 – roughly R14 million.
The group, consisting of nine men, 18 women and 15 children, departed Dublin on a chartered flight on Thursday and arrived in South Africa on Friday.
According to the Irish Times, based on the initial cost estimate, the deportation worked out to about €17 500, or roughly R330 000, per person.
The individuals were removed under deportation orders issued by Ireland’s immigration authorities after being found to be living in the country unlawfully and not taking up the option of voluntary return.
Saffas sent home on charter flight
According to Irish authorities, all 15 children who were deported were travelling as part of family groups. Two of the adults had criminal convictions in Ireland.
Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan stressed that the deportations were aimed at enforcing existing immigration laws rather than targeting South Africans specifically.
“Our immigration system must be rules-based and robust,” he said.
He added that “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.”
The minister noted that the €735 000 figure was preliminary and that the final cost could change once the invoicing process had been completed.
Ireland ramps up deportation orders
The South Africa-bound flight was Ireland’s fourth charter deportation operation of 2026. Three earlier flights resulted in the removal of 130 people, including 67 European Union citizens deported on criminality grounds.
Ireland has also recorded a sharp increase in deportation activity over the past two years. In 2025, authorities signed 4 700 deportation orders, a 96% increase compared with 2024.
So far this year, 2 108 deportation orders have already been issued in Ireland.
At the same time, voluntary returns have also increased. A total of 934 people returned voluntarily in 2024, rising to 1 616 in 2025. So far in 2026, 712 people have left Ireland through voluntary return programmes.
While South Africa is considered a safe country by Ireland, South Africans may still apply for asylum if they can provide evidence that they would be unsafe if returned home.
