Deportation of Irish-born children ‘a scandal’

THE Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has denounced as a “scandal” the deportation last week of a group of Irish-born children with African parents.

Three children born here were among a group of 25 non-nationals deported on a late-night chartered flight to Nigeria.

One young mother deported without her young son was Angel Aduba, 23, whose 17-month old son, Tomso, is still in Ireland.

She was arrested and put in Mountjoy Prison prior to her departure for “obstructing her deportation”.

Ms Aduba has claimed that it is not safe for her son to join her in Nigeria, citing ‘grave danger’ from her former partner’s family who she says are involved in a voodoo cult.

“My son is the reason I came to Ireland in the first place,” said Ms Aduba. “When I was pregnant his father’s family told me they were going to sacrifice him as part of a black magic ritual. That is why I ran away. I am very, very afraid. I cannot allow my baby to come here.”

Yesterday, the ICCL senior research and policy officer, Tanya Ward, condemned the deportation practice. Speaking on the Pat Kenny radio programme, she said: “Why are we spending huge amount of money to export black Irish children out of the country?

“It is scandalous in this day and age that we have resorted to exporting our own children,” she said.