Amnesty criticises jailing of non-nationals facing deportation

The Irish branch of Amnesty International has criticised the State's policy of imprisoning non-nationals who are facing deportation.

The Irish Prison Service's latest annual report, published today, showed that one-quarter of all people jailed in Ireland in 2003 were non-nationals.

Most of these would have been awaiting deportation.

Responding to the figures, Fiona Crowley of Amnesty Ireland said such people should not be jailed if they haven't been convicted of or suspected of any criminal offence.

"The regimes in such facilities are not appropriate to their status," she said. "They should be detained in special facilities designed for immigration detainees more appropriate to their non-criminal status."