McDowell must address legal muddle

THE hopes of thousands of refugees, who believed they had an automatic right to stay in Ireland because their children were born here, have been dashed

This landmark verdict brings into sharp focus the human face of the refugee problem as 10,000 individuals are currently applying to the Department of Justice for residency on the basis of their children’s Irish citizenship.

For them, genuine fears now arise as to their status in this country. Apparently, many people have withdrawn asylum applications because they thought they had an automatic right to remain in Ireland if a child was born here.