Deportation of 63 Individuals from Ireland to South Africa: Details of the Recent Charter Flight Operation
A total of 63 individuals were deported from Ireland to South Africa on a charter flight over the weekend, as confirmed by the Department of Justice. The operation involved 54 adults and nine children, who were part of family units. The flight departed Dublin Airport in the evening and arrived in Johannesburg early the next morning. This marks the second charter removal operation of the year and the eighth since the resumption of such flights in 2025.
Among those deported were the Oyekanmi family, who had been the subject of a protest and petition seeking permission to remain in Ireland on humanitarian grounds. The family, consisting of Titilayo Oluwakemi Oyekanmi and her three sons, had arrived in Ireland from South Africa in 2023. Despite their asylum application being rejected and an unsuccessful appeal, they received a deportation order in April 2025. The boys had been actively involved in schools and local sports clubs in Dublin.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan emphasized that deportation flights are a necessary part of immigration enforcement when individuals do not have legal permission to stay in the country or have been involved in criminal activities. The operation involved the removal of 28 adult men, 26 adult women, and nine juveniles, with ten individuals having prior convictions in Ireland for various offenses. The returnees were accompanied by members of the Garda National Immigration Bureau, medical staff, an interpreter, and a human rights observer.
The Department of Justice expressed gratitude to the gardaí and departmental officials for their efforts in carrying out the deportation operation. Additional charter removal operations are scheduled to take place throughout the year.