Ciarán Cuffe (Dún Laoghaire, Green Party)

We must consider the facts. Olunkunle Eluhanla arrived in Ireland at the age of 15. His father was shot dead in an attack and his mother may live in America. He has no family left in Nigeria. While a week ago he was preparing for his leaving certificate in Palmerstown, on 15 March he was deported to Nigeria and is now in Lagos with no money or belongings. On his return to Nigeria, he was put in jail but while he was lucky enough to be released, he was subsequently attacked and molested. I want an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the arrest, deportation and subsequent treatment in Nigeria of the young man in question. I want the Minister to bring him back to Ireland which has become his home over the last few years.

The Minister stated on "Morning Ireland" this morning that if he were to make allowances for persons who have lost one parent and are not living with the other, our immigration policy would be a shambles. Can the Minister explain what he means by "shambles" in this case? If, as stated on "Morning Ireland" the Government has such high standards in protecting asylum seekers, why was this young man deported without identity papers while still in his school uniform? What protection is the Minister providing to people like Olunkunle? What assurances was the Government able to give him that he was returning to a safe environment? Why did the Minister give the boy false hope by allowing him to study for a leaving certificate examination which he would never be given the opportunity to sit?

Under a repatriation agreement signed with Nigeria in 2001, Ireland committed itself to safeguarding the human rights and dignity of those returned during the deportation process and when repatriation had taken place. I see no evidence that the commitment is being honoured. I call on the Minister to allow Olunkunle to return to Ireland at least to sit his leaving certificate examination. What is the point in providing people like him with good educational facilities and then denying him the opportunity to sit his exams? The problem with the Government's immigration policy is that it has no room for compassion, humanity and consideration for the people directly affected by it. We want an immigration policy with a human aspect which protects rather than rejects people and is open and transparent in its operations.

While over 4,000 people have been recognised as refugees in Ireland over the last three years, the numbers given leave to remain are extremely low. Only 75 former asylum seekers were successful at this stage last year while the number of deported people was eight times greater. The bar has been set very high and the basis for refusing some especially strong cases is questionable. The total number of aged-out asylum seekers who have applied for leave to remain on humanitarian grounds but not on the basis of being an Irish-born child is relatively small, perhaps 500.

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