Gardaí called to Nigerian embassy after passport fiasco

Jim Morahan

Dozens of people from many parts of the country turned up outside the Leeson Street embassy after being notified to collect their passports.

Some people in the queue complained they had been waiting since 6am having travelled long distances.

More than 400 tickets were issued but it was reported the embassy had dealt with only about 30 people during the day.

A Nigerian passport costs more than E400 and is a necessary requirement to get a residency permit for this country.

The Nigerian Embassy was not available to comment on the delays.

Meanwhile, Taoiseach Bertie Ahern was photographed with two Nigerian women named Elizabeth and Iyabo, who were deported this week.

"These photographs are two of the women who were deported with Bertie Ahern," Residents Against Racism spokeswoman Rosanna Flynn said during an anti-deportation protest in Dublin yesterday.

"Their children are still in Ireland. This was at one of the Government's inter-cultural events. That's Bertie Ahern for you; that's the Irish Government."

Speakers at the protest branded government immigration policy as racist, in light of this week's deportations of 35 Nigerian nationals late on Monday night.

Two opposition TDs, Joe Costello of Labour and Ciarán Cuffe (Greens) spoke at the demonstration, which took place on the steps of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB).

"It is a sad irony that we are protesting here, on the eve of St Patrick's Day, which is celebrated as the great Irish diaspora all over the world," said Mr Costello.

"We can try and protest as much as we can, as we are doing here. We will raise as many questions as we can in the Dáil. We will continue to fight this as strongly as we can."

Mr Cuffe said it was not good enough to deport people with no notice in the middle of the night; to deport schoolchildren and people who were integrated into their local communities. The organisers announced a further protest next Wednesday outside the Dáil, claiming children in Ireland are now living under Justice Minister Michael McDowell's threat of deportation.

Union of Students leader Rory Hearne claimed the Government was trying to promote racism, as they had seen in the referendum, rather than tackle it.

"I believe the majority of people in Ireland do not want to see these deportations. They want to welcome these immigrants into this country," said Mr Hearne.