Immigrant sector united in calls on government to suspend deportations pending investigation of inhumane treatment of deportees on 15 December 2010
Nasc staff were in Dublin on Wednesday to attend a demonstration against inhumane and degrading deportation practices.
Nasc CEO, Fiona Finn, said:
We are asking the government to ensure that an investigation is carried out into events that occurred on a deportation flight last month. When the flight was subject to delays, the deportees from Ireland, including children, were treated very badly. This compounded the trauma of being forcibly removed from their long-term homes for those children, and we feel that it is totally unacceptable.
The Irish Refugee Council has published a detailed report of events on its website. Nasc has spoken to a person who was on board, who has confirmed that the men, women and children endured long delays, inadequate food and limited access to sanitary facilities until their deportation was aborted in Greece and they were returned to Ireland.
Deportation practice in Ireland includes taking people, including children, from their homes in the early hours of the morning with little or no opportunity to properly dress or take personal belongings with them – even when they have demonstrated that they no intention of attempting to evade deportation.
We agree with the Irish Refugee Council that deportations from Ireland should be suspended until a full investigation has been carried out into the events of December 15th. If you agree, express your support by sending an email to the Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern or write to the Minister c/o the Department of Justice, 94 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, to ask that an investigation be carried out into the inhume and degrading treatment of deportees from Ireland on 15 December 2010, and that deportations be halted until the investigation is complete.
Paula Geraghty of Trade Union TV has posted some footage of the excellent speakers, including Joe Moore of Cork Anti Racist Network, and Sue Conlon of the Irish Refugee Council, both of whom do a great job of explaining what’s what. Oh, and not forgetting our own Fiona Hurley (legal information officer).
