Nigerian deported early, admits McDowell
The 20-year-old is due to return to Ireland tomorrow on a six-month student visa to sit his exams.
Mr McDowell said the civil servant who had proposed the deportation order to him had assumed it would not be implemented before Olukunle sat the Leaving Certificate in June.
“By presenting himself at Garda National Immigration Bureau on the day of a deportation flight, rather than on the earlier date specified in a letter written to him, Olukunle was treated as a deportation evader,” a statement said.
Mr McDowell said Olukunle was then arrested and deported by officials “acting in good faith”.
“The assumption that he would not be deported before June was simply not acted on,” the statement added.
Mr McDowell had previously stated that the case had been examined twice by independent bodies, whose findings had cast doubt on parts of the teenager’s asylum claim.
However, he reversed the deportation decision last week following a campaign by Olukunle’s classmates at Palmerstown Community College in Dublin.
Mr McDowell yesterday said the timing was unfortunate and it was inappropriate to let matters stand in such unusual circumstances.
“I understand that Olukunle will be arriving in Dublin before the end of the school break and will be able to rejoin his classmates when the school term resumes on Monday,” he said.
“I wish them all well in the Leaving Certificate exam and hope that they will now be able to concentrate on their studies.”
Meanwhile, human rights support groups are preparing a campaign to force the Government to allow immigrants granted residency here to bring their children and spouses to Ireland.
Under new rules drawn up the Department of Justice, non-national parents of Irish-born children applying for residency must waive their rights to bring other family members here.
Immigrant support groups say this is unjust and they are prepared to take a High Court case if necessary.
“We will be campaigning very actively on this in association with other support organisations,” Gertrude Carter, co-ordinator of the Irish Immigrant Support Centre, said yesterday.
Today is the deadline for applications for permission to remain in Ireland made by the parents of Irish-born children born before January 1 of this year. “There was a rumour the deadline would be extended but that is not the case,” said Peter O’Mahony of the IRC.
