Refugee Council criticises garda letters to immigrants

The Irish Refugee Council has criticised the gardaí for sending letters to the non-national parents of Irish-born children ordering them to surrender their children’s passports.

Peter O’Mahony, the council’s chief executive, said the gardaí had claimed the phrase 'surrender the passport' was unintended and the letters should have read 'present the passport'.

However, Mr O’Mahony said this attempt to play down the matter did not tally with the next paragraph in the letters, which threatened the arrest and detention of anyone who failed to comply with the order.

"It’s a fairly dramatic and disturbing new development," he said.