Unlimited detention plan for immigrants ‘draconian’

MEASURES which mean immigration officers may be able to hold foreign nationals for an unlimited time and deport people without notice have been labelled draconian by the Irish Refugee Council.

Currently being debated in the Dáil, refugee and immigration groups are concerned The Immigration Residence and Protection Bill 2008 needlessly extends the power of immigration officers, many of whom are not gardaí and who cannot be held accountable for their decisions.

The Refugee Council said it was time the Government restored faith in the immigration system after ”extremely disturbing treatment” of two foreign nationals this summer.

Earlier this year a Nigerian priest Rev John Achebe, despite having a valid tourist visa and other identity documents, was strip-searched in front of other prisoners and prison officers, denied access to legal counsel, forced to share a cell and open toilet with four other prisoners at Cloverhill prison and taken back to Dublin Airport for deportation.

In answer to a parliamentary question by Fine Gael’s Denis Naughten yesterday, the Minister for Justice said he was happy that immigration and prison authorities had fully complied with all the necessary legal and administrative procedures in their handling of the incident.

The other case was an Indian tourist who won a trip to Ireland in a state-sponsored competition, and reportedly suffered harassment and racial discrimination at Dublin airport as, despite having the required tourist visa and carrying a letter from Tourism Ireland, immigration officers insisted they did not believe the letter was authentic.

The council is “very concerned” about the bill, said a spokeswoman for the Immigration Council.

“It would mean officers can search and seize property and take away the 15-day appeal system currently in operation — this is a real issue for us,” she said.

The Irish Refugee Council said where it appears to an immigration officer that a foreign national is unlawful, he or she can be deported without notice.

“This is a draconian provision in blatant violation of international law.”

Both the Immigration Council and the Refugee Council of Ireland called for immigration officers to come within the remit of the Garda Ombudsman so they can be held accountable for their decisions.