“Sad Situation for These Families”: Deep Dive Into 63 People Deported From Ireland to South Africa

• A content creator shared her opinion about the people who were deported from Ireland to South Africa recently
• In a TikTok video shared on 1 March 2026, she did a deep dive into why the deportees were booted out of the country
• Social media users were saddened by the news, and others questioned some of the deportees' nationality

A woman from the UK spoke about the 63 Africans who were flown out of Ireland to South Africa on 28 February 2026.

The clip went viral after it was shared on TikTok by user @catherineajoseph, gaining divided comments from viewers who debated the deportation.

She claimed the foreign nationals had been transported from Dublin Airport on a charter flight that brought them to South Africa. She shed light on some of the deportees, the Oyekami family, whom locals were protesting on their behalf and even signed a petition to allow them to stay.

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The deportation of 63 South Africans

The Oyekami family allegedly arrived in Dublin in 2023 as a family of five and has since integrated into the community. The TikTok user @catherineajoseph, also pointed out that the government promised that deportation was ongoing to ensure everyone in Ireland was legal.

Watch the TikTok video below:

SA reacts to the deportation news

The clip gained massive views and over a thousand comments from social media users. Many viewers were convinced that the Oyakami family was not originally from Mzansi, noting that the surname was not common in the country. Some felt sorry for the families, especially the children who were already attending school. Others thanked the Irish community for welcoming them and even fighting for the families to remain in the UK.

User @SmaletK said:

"Dear content creator, please educate your viewers on why they were deported to SA instead of their home countries, so people can understand. It's now taken in another context altogether."

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User @720004898 commented:

"It's a very sad situation for this family. Chances are, they might be deported again from South Africa to Nigeria. I can imagine the trauma the kids are going through😢."

User @linnaa.odonnell commented:

"Thank you to the Irish people for welcoming the family and caring for them for some time. We understand that they have now gone to a safe place, one that is not at war and that can continue to care for them as well. Ireland has already done so much for this family, and our hearts and prayers will remain with them 🙏❤️."

User @Isata shared:

"This is really sad 😔 😟."

User @bongs asked:

"What is the South African ambassador doing about it?"

3 Briefly News articles about deportation

• A video, capturing a lengthy queue of Mozambican citizens at a South African border gate, showcased the massive flow of people into the country.
• A local woman filmed an empty clinic, claiming that it was due to the removal of foreign national patients, sparking major reactions online.
• An emotional Nigerian woman shared a video looking for her Zulu mother's family, saying she last saw them when she was young, before her father took her to Nigeria.

Proofreading by Kelly Lippke, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News