Higgins demands deported schoolboy to be returned

Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins has called on the Government to allow a Leaving Cert student who was deported to Nigeria last week to return to Ireland.

The 19-year-old was among a group of up to 50 Nigerians deported on a specially-chartered flight from Dublin Airport to Lagos following the rejection of their asylum applications.

Mr Higgins claimed today the young man had been attacked and robbed since being returned to his homeland.

"It beggars belief that the Minister for Justice would have a situation where a young Leaving Cert student is dumped in Lagos in his school uniform with no identity papers, no money, no family, nowhere to go," he said.

"Clearly, there is only one alternative which is that he must be allowed back to join his friends from Palmerstown Community School, who are deeply distressed about what has happened."