Mother appeals to Ahern over asylum plea
Pamela Izevbekhai is fighting a deportation order through the Irish and European Courts. Yesterday she briefed representatives of the political parties in Leinster House.
Outside she expressed her wish for Mr Ahern to grant a dispensation for her and her two children, Naomi, 7, and Jemima, 6.
She fears returning to Nigeria in case her husband’s relations force her daughters to undergo female genital mutilation.
Fine Gael’s Alan Shatter welcomed Ms Izevbekhai to Leinster House and said he hoped Mr Ahern would reconsider her case.
He said the family had special circumstances which demanded a more humanitarian approach.
“She has a genuine fear and concern that her two children will suffer a similar fate [as her first daughter did] and I think in these special circumstances the minister should exercise his discretionary powers,” Mr Shatter said.
In 1994 Ms Izevbekhai’s daughter, Elizabeth, died because of the effects of female genital mutilation. This procedure was carried out by her husband’s extended family.
The family came to Ireland in 2005 because of fears the same procedure would be carried out on her two other daughters.
Last week the European Court of Human Rights postponed making a decision on the family’s case.
It has asked the Irish authorities to put a stay on her deportation until it has reached a decision.
A judicial review in the Irish courts has also been delayed after the presiding judge stepped aside on Monday because he also ruled on her initial appeal.
Mr Shatter said these cases could stop if the minister stepped in.
He said he did not believe leniency in this case would make the Government liable for all such appeals before the minister.
Mr Shatter said the legislation governing deportations required the minister to assess each individual case on its merits and this prevented any precedent being set.
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