One-week lifeline for women’s rights campaigner facing deportation

A NIGERIAN midwife and women’s rights campaigner was thrown a one-week lifeline yesterday in her battle to be allowed to live in Ireland.

Juliet Imiruaye now plans to seek an urgent judicial review of the decision to refuse her asylum application and deport her, five years after she first sought refuge here.

Mrs Imiruaye has spent much of her time in Ireland campaigning against female genital mutilation among the immigrant community, work for which she has earned the praise and support of many politicians.

The 49-year-old mother of five, who is herself a victim of mutilation, left her husband and two of her children in Nigeria when she came here in 1999 after receiving threats relating to her work with fellow victims.

She was among dozens of rejected asylum seekers and undocumented migrant workers ordered to report to the Garda National Immigration Bureau in Dublin yesterday on foot of deportation orders. Unusually, the majority were told they could leave after questioning but were told to report back the same time next week.

Mrs Imiruaye said last night she was greatly relieved as she had feared she would be taken in custody for immediate expulsion. Earlier in the day she had confessed: “I am frightened to the bone.”

She vowed, however, that she would continue with her efforts to end the practice of female genital mutilation even if she was forced to go back to Nigeria.

Speaking at a conference on the issue last week, Mrs Imiruaye warned the practice was going on in secret among immigrant communities here and she urged the health authorities to urgently embark on a re-education programme.

Rosanna Flynn of Residents Against Racism, who accompanied many of the asylum seekers to their appointments yesterday, said she hoped those politicians who had praised Mrs Imiruaye’s bravery would now help her in her fight to remain here.

“She has a crucial role to play on a world stage as a spokesperson on genital mutilation.”

Meanwhile, another Nigerian mother, Stella Ibeanyu, and her three-month old baby remained in Limerick Prison last night where they were placed after an aborted deportation attempt last Friday.