“They Are Not From South Africa”: Deep Dive Into African Nationals Deported From Ireland
- A Nigerian content creator living in Ireland shared the news about foreign nationals who were deported from the country recently
- In a TikTok video shared on 1 March 2026, she detailed that the families were made up of parents and young children
- Social media users were saddened by the news, and others corrected the creator about the deportees' nationality after she claimed they were South African
Source: TikTok
A woman from the UK broke the news of 63 Africans who were flown out of Ireland to South Africa on 28 February 2026, with all their family members.
The clip went viral after it was shared on TikTok by user @catherineajoseph, gaining divided comments from viewers who debated the deportation.
The content creator started her video explaining that the 63 foreign nationals had been transported from Dublin airport on a charter flight that brought them to South Africa. She added that the families included the Oyekami family, whom locals were protesting for and even signed a petition to allow them to stay.
The Oyekami parents are said to have arrived in Dublin in 2023 as a family of five and have since integrated into the community. The creator, TikTok user @catherineajoseph, also pointed out that the government promised that deportation was ongoing to ensure everyone in Ireland was legal.
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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 who discussed the deportations. Many viewers were convinced that the Oyakami families and others were not from Mzansi, noting that the surname was Nigerian. 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.
Source: UGC
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."
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 @user7347903392805 added:
"How many times must we tell you guys? 😉 They are not from South Africa 🤔."
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 @Stephen Trumper said:
"The 63 are all Nigerians, not South Africans."
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.
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Source: Briefly News
