Deported parents leave with 22 Irish children

TWENTY-TWO Irish children have left Ireland with their deported parents since a landmark Supreme Court judgement last year and more than 400 orders to leave have been served.

However, thousands of non-national parents and their Irish-born children remain in legal limbo, not having been served with deportation orders and, therefore, not given the opportunity to apply for leave to remain on humanitarian grounds.

Of the 28 people who left on a chartered flight to Nigeria late on Wednesday night, three were Irish-born children. Figures obtained by the Irish Examiner reveal a further 19 left the country with their deported parents since the L&O judgment earlier last year.