Gardaí said two of the42 individuals had been convicted of offences in this jurisdiction
08:16, 19 Jun 2026Updated 08:24, 19 Jun 2026
(Image: PA Archive/PA Images)
Gardaí have deported 42 South African nationals from Ireland.
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. They arrived in Johannesburg at 4am Irish time on Friday.
On Thursday the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) of An Garda Síochána carried out an operation removing individuals from the State. This was undertaken due to Deportation Orders issued by the Minister for Justice.
Gardaí said two of the individuals had been “convicted of offences in this jurisdiction and their removal supports ongoing operations by An Garda Síochána nationwide”.
A Garda spokesperson told The Irish Mirror : “In 2024 the Department of Justice put in place arrangements to take over immigration registration (administrative) functions from An Garda Síochána.
“The transfer of administrative immigration duties was in line with the implementation of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland recommendations and relieved Garda National Immigration Bureau officers of those administrative duties to concentrate on investigative and enforcement immigration duties.”
An Garda Síochána said that it continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy and the Irish Prison Service in the implementation of these operations.
The costs for the provision of the aircraft for this operation was €735,000 for a return flight, reports The Irish Examiner.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said the “vast majority” of South African nationals in Ireland are legally resident.
“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 vast majority of South African nationals are legally resident in the State and positively contribute to society.”
“I would like to thank the members of An Garda Síochána and officials from my department for their continued work in conducting these complex operations.”
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