Ms Oyekanmi, who is of Nigerian heritage, fled South Africa with her sons after heightened xenophobia against people of her ethnicity resulted in her being kidnapped and told to leave the country. However, the family received a deportation order last year after their asylum application was rejected in Ireland, with the Department of Justice deeming South Africa a “safe country of origin”. The family had been living in an IPAS centre in Sandyford until they were transferred last month to one-bedroom accommodation in Castleknock, north Dublin. The Department of Justice confirmed today that a total of 63 people, including nine children, were deported to South Africa on a charter flight yesterday evening at 5:05pm from Dublin Airport. Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan described the flights as “routine and essential” elements of Ireland’s immigration enforcement.

Source: Irish Independent March 01, 2026 17:28 UTC