Plea to minister over Nigerian girls' deportation
Amnesty International tonight pleaded with Justice Minister Dermot Ahern to reconsider deporting a Nigerian woman from Ireland over fears her daughters would suffer genital mutilation.
Pamela Izevbekhai and her daughters, seven-year-old Naomi and six-year-old Jemima, have lost their latest battle to secure a court order to stay in the country.
The High Court threw out the family’s claim that Mr Ahern should look at new evidence and agree to their plea for subsidiary protection.
But Amnesty executive director Colm O’Gorman said the minister should use his powers to intervene in the case and reconsider the deportation.
“The focus now shifts to Justice Minister Dermot Ahern,” said Mr O’Gorman.
“It is still within his power to grant the family leave to remain. We call on him to do so as a matter of absolute urgency.”
Ms Izevbekhai, who lives with her daughters in Sligo, is to appeal to the Supreme Court.
Her final hopes rest with the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg which is examining her case before deciding if it can go to a full hearing. It is unlikely the matter will be heard before June.
Justice Minister Dermot Ahern’s spokesman said the judges in three separate High Court challenges have now refused to overthrow the original deportation orders made in 2005.
The spokesman said the minister had no further comment to make on the case ahead of proceedings due before the ECHR.
A spokeswoman for the Strasbourg Court said the family must be allowed to remain in Ireland until it rules on the case.
“There should be some form of legal ruling this year, but it’s going to take a while,” she said.
“It has been given priority, but we are looking at a month after June.”
The National Women’s Council of Ireland backed the calls for Mr Ahern to step in.
Joanne Vance, NWCI Women’s health worker, said: “Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a violation of women’s and girls’ human rights.
“Any type of FGM is a harmful practice, a contravention of internationally recognised human rights and constitutes violence against women and girls.
“Pamela, Jemima and Naoimi Izevbekhai’s case highlights once again the need for the implementation of best practice guidelines in the Irish asylum process, which would allow for improved practices in dealing with women claiming gender-related persecution.
“If returned these children may be forcibly subjected to the human rights atrocity that is female genital mutilation,” Mr O’Gorman said.
“The State of Nigeria by its own admission simply cannot protect them, nor guarantee their safety through relocating them elsewhere.”
