Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Mr Jim O’Callaghan has confirmed that 42 South African nationals were removed from the State on a charter deportation flight this week.
The flight departed Dublin Airport at 3.30pm on Thursday, June 18th 2026, and landed in Johannesburg at 4.00am Irish time, this morning Friday, June 19th.
Those removed were 9 men, 18 women and 15 children. The Department confirmed that all children were travelling as part of family units.
The operation was the fourth deportation charter flight carried out so far in 2026. Three earlier charter operations this year removed 130 people from the State, including 67 EU citizens removed on grounds of criminality.
This follows six charter operations in 2025, during which 205 people were removed from Ireland. Of these, 182 were people subject to deportation orders, while 23 EU nationals were removed under Removal Orders.
The aircraft for the latest South Africa operation was provided by Air Partner Ltd at a cost of €735,000, excluding VAT, for a return flight. The Department said the total cost of the operation is not yet available, as the invoicing process has not been completed.
Minister O’Callaghan said Ireland’s immigration system must be “rules based and robust”, adding that the enforcement of deportation orders is necessary for the system to work effectively and to maintain public confidence.
He also stressed that the vast majority of South African nationals living in Ireland are legally resident and make a positive contribution to society. He thanked An Garda Síochána and officials from his department for their work in carrying out what he described as complex operations.
The Department has also confirmed a significant increase in deportation orders in recent years. In 2025, 4,700 deportation orders were signed, a 96% increase on 2024. Up to June 12th 2026, a further 2,108 deportation orders had been signed.
Departures from the State have also increased. In 2024, 1,122 people left Ireland through enforced deportation, voluntary return or other mechanisms. In 2025, that figure rose to 2,111, an increase of 88%. Up to June 12th, 2026, 1,034 people had departed through these pathways.
However, voluntary return remains the Department’s preferred method for removing people who have no legal status in the State, including those refused international protection. In 2024, 934 people availed of voluntary return. That increased to 1,616 in 2025, while 712 people had used the voluntary return process up to June 12th, 2026.
Separately, new figures show there have been 27 critical incidents at International Protection Accommodation Service centres so far this year.
Minister O’Callaghan confirmed the figure in a written Dáil reply to Independent Ireland. The 27 critical incidents recorded to date in 2026 compare with 62 in all of 2025, 55 in 2024, 50 in 2023, 37 in 2022 and 14 in 2021.
The Minister said the figures should be viewed in the context of the large increase in the number of people living in IPAS accommodation. Current resident numbers are approximately 33,000 across 305 centres, compared with just over 7,000 residents at the end of 2021.
Overall, 2,568 incidents have been recorded at IPAS centres so far this year, compared with 5,725 in 2025.
The Department said incidents in IPAS accommodation can range from general or minor issues, such as complaints about behaviour or noise, to critical incidents involving mental health, self-harm or the unexpected death of a resident.
Minister O’Callaghan said IPAS teams engage with centre management when incidents occur and that providers are expected to comply with incident response policies. He also said centre management maintain ongoing contact with local Gardaí and that An Garda Síochána are contacted where there are concerns about violence or criminal activity.
The Minister also confirmed that 1,909 warning letters have been issued to IPAS residents so far this year. This compares with 4,127 warning letters in 2025 and 3,170 in 2024.
There have also been 239 transfers between IPAS centres so far in 2026, compared with 544 transfers in 2025 and 521 in 2024.
In a separate Dáil response; Minister O’Callaghan said the Department’s allocation for IPAS accommodation in 2026 is €1.1 billion. This compares with spending of €1.27 billion in 2025.
He said this is the first time in five years that the budget for international protection accommodation and supports is lower than the previous year.
Further charter removal operations are expected to take place during 2026.
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