Nigerian boy may be entitled to EU citizenship

A SOLICITOR battling on behalf of a four-year-old boy believes he shouldn’t be deported to Nigeria because he may be entitled to EU citizenship.

The legal expert also said yesterday that he has requested Minister for Justice Michael McDowell to increase the stay on executing the deportation order from one week to a month, in order that the child is properly assessed.

Great Agbonlahor, his twin sister Melissa and mother Olivia were supposed to be deported last Tuesday, but a stay was put on the move after the family’s supporters lobbied Mr McDowell.

Dublin-based solicitor Kevin Brophy said that as both Great and his sister were born in Italy - where their father is working as a journalist - they should be entitled to EU citizenship.

He said there was also a humanitarian aspect which again should allow Great to stay on in this country. The family have lived for the past three years at an asylum seeker centre in Clonakilty, Co Cork.

“I don’t believe the humanitarian side of it has been stressed [in the case]. The family’s deportation has been put on hold for seven days. But the day after that Great is due to be assessed by medical experts. I have looked for an extension and am also seeking a report on the treatment available for autistic children in Nigeria,” Mr Brophy said.

Mrs Agbonlahor maintains there are no facilities available in Nigeria and as a result her son would suffer extreme hardship.

Mr McDowell said last Tuesday that he would personally study the application for refugee status before making a decision.

Gary O’Sullivan, who is spokesperson for the Great Justice Action Group, said that people in Clonakilty were lining up in droves to sign petitions against the proposed deportation.

He said petitions had been put in the town’s supermarkets and both the Catholic Church and Church of Ireland had agreed that petitions could be signed before masses and services over the weekend. The Catholic Church is also to mention the petition in its weekly newsletter.

“The parents’ committees in both [national] schools have also organised a petition and it’s hoped parents will return them by Friday,” Mr O’Sullivan said.

He said the action group had received a number of calls from solicitors around the country offering help.

“We would like to thank all the people who phoned, emailed and texted support over the last few days. We also want to thank the Minister for Justice for the reprieve pending his review,” Mr O’Sullivan said.