31st October 2003

PRESS RELEASE 

GREENS CALL FOR LEGAL AID FOR PARENTS OF IRISH CITIZENS

The Green Party has criticised the Minister for Justice for stepping up the Government's campaign to deport immigrant families and their Irish-born children.

Green Party Justice spokesperson, Ciarán Cuffe TD, said, "Parents of Irish citizens should be entitled to legal aid when appealing a deportation order.  By denying parents legal aid it merely highlights the Department’s lack of commitment to those who need it most."

"The rights of these children are being violated. What guarantees is the Minister going to give to ensure that children being deported will be able to fully exercise their rights in the country that they will be deported to?"

"The Green Party are calling on the Minister to put a fair and realistic procedure in place when dealing with residency applications and to provide legal aid immediately to assist those who are not only threatened with deportation but those who are intimidated by the legal jargon that is required when appealing to the Department to overturn a deportation decision."

Since July the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has issued 1,100 letters to immigrants informing them of the Department’s intention to deport them.   Non-EU parents have been given 15 days to appeal to the Department. 

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