As the anti-immigrant mobilisation gathers momentum in South Africa ahead of the 30 June deadline for undocumented immigrants to leave or face violence, it seems South Africa is now tasting its own medicine after Ireland began deporting its citizens from the European country.
With the world’s attention fixed on the violent anti-immigration campaign in South Africa, on Thursday Ireland deported a total of 42 South Africa citizens via a chartered flight back to their home country.
Ireland’s Garda National Immigration Bureau carried out the expulsions on the foot of deportation orders issued by the country’s Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan.
O’Callaghan, said most South Africans living in Ireland were in the country legally.
“Our immigration system must be rules-based and robust,” he added.
“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.”
O’Callaghan said the $853,000 cost of Thursday’s deportation was only an initial figure, with the final cost expected after the invoicing process is completed.
The Irish State considers South Africa to be a safe country although South Africans can still apply for asylum in Ireland if they provide documentary proof that they are unsafe
According to reports from Ireland, the deported South African nationals include 27 adults – nine men and 18 women – and 15 juveniles, who were all part of family groups.
They were all deported on a chartered flight which left Dublin on Thursday afternoon for South Africa, and arrived at the Oliver Tambo International Airport on Friday morning.
Two of the deported individuals had been convicted of offences in Ireland.
Their removal supports ongoing operations by gardaí nationwide, a Garda spokesperson said.
“Gardaí continues to work closely with the Department of Justice in implementing immigration policy and the Irish Prison Service in the implementation of these operations”, a spokesperson added.
As the South African nationals were being ejected from Ireland, thousands of African immigrants were being repatriated from South Africa ahead of the 30 June deadline set by the violent vigilante groups.
African immigrants have been subjected to violent attacks by the militant vigilante groups, which accuse them of exacerbating severe unemployment by taking jobs from South African citizens, driving up local crime rates, engaging in drug and human trafficking, and exacerbating severe unemployment by taking jobs from citizens.
They are also accused of illegally accessing basic public services, including healthcare and schooling.
A South African civic society group, Xenowatch, says between 2022 and 2025 it recorded 406 verified violent incidents against immigrants, resulting in 75 deaths. It says this translates into an average of 102 xenophobic discrimination incidents per year.
In 2025 alone, 151 incidents were recorded. In the first five months of 2026, a further 22 verified incidents were recorded. Of the 22 incidents, 14 were violent attacks that largely followed anti-migrant protests in some parts of the country.
Human Rights Watch and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights have formally condemned the vigilante conduct.
Meanwhile, the South African government has been criticised for its sluggish responses to the attacks.
National Interest Zimbabwe Correspondent
