Opposition demand review of deportation laws

There have been widespread opposition calls for a full review of our deportation laws.

It follows the Minister for Justice Michael McDowell’s admission that he was harsh in deporting a Leaving Cert student to Nigeria last week.

Twenty-year-old Kunle Eluhanla is being granted a six month student visa so that he can return to do his exams.

Preparations are being made to fly him home to Ireland at the weekend.

Rosanna Flynn, of Residents Against Racism, said this could be a watershed in public attitudes.

“Irish people did not know what was going on,” she said.

“This is not the first mass deportation that has been handled in this manner – there have been many of them and no-one knows where they are.

“There has been no follow-up, because it was impossible. Now the truth has come out about the inhuman way that people have been treated,” she added.