A deportation order issued against a family living in Dublin should be revoked, those attending a protest outside the Department of Justice on Tuesday demanded.
Titilayo Oluwakemi Oyekanmi and her three sons, Samuel, Joseph and Genesis, came to Ireland in late 2023 from South Africa. Their asylum application was rejected and a subsequent appeal was unsuccessful.
The family received a deportation order in April 2025. Their solicitor last year applied for this order to be revoked on humanitarian grounds.
Titilayo, who is originally from Nigeria, fears for the lives of herself and her sons if they are sent back to South Africa. She said she sought asylum in Ireland after she was beaten by a gang and threatened at gunpoint.
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The family was moved from an International Protection Accommodation Service (Ipas) centre in Sandyford, Co Dublin, to another centre in Castleknock last Friday in advance of their deportation, as reported by The Irish Times last week.
The family could be deported as soon as Thursday, but are awaiting confirmation of this.
The three boys, who range in age from five to 18, are attending local schools and sports clubs in South Dublin.
Members of the community have appealed to the Department of Justice not to proceed with the deportation, saying the removal of the family would be a huge loss to the area.
A large crowd, including schoolchildren, attended the protest in Dublin city on Tuesday afternoon.
Joseph (14) has been attending Gonzaga College on a scholarship since September. Samuel (18) is due to sit his Leaving Cert exams in June at Ballinteer Community School.
A number of students, parents and teachers from the boys’ schools attended the demonstration.
Cara McGennis, present with her son Charlie (13), said the Oyekanmi family had “brought so much richness to our community”.
“We should be giving this family an opportunity to continue to live a good life. They see [Ireland] as their home,” she said.
Charlie, a pupil at Gonzaga, said he would be “very sad” if Joseph had to leave, adding “he is really nice”.
Simon Matthews, whose son also attends Gonzaga, said people in the community feel “a lot of empathy for the family”.
“They’ve really integrated with the community, they’ve given a huge amount back. Titi, [their] mum, is a volunteer in church. The kids are amazing.”
Stephen Kirwan of KOD Lyons, the family’s solicitor, said the “groundswell of support is something like I’ve never seen before”.
“It’s heartening to see young people from across the community, here in Dublin in particular, standing up for a family.”
Kirwan said the threat of deportation had been “hanging over” the family for almost a year. He said they have not received a reply to their revocation application and believe their deportation is imminent.
Kirwan said this particular case “highlights very clearly, in my view, the fact that the deportation system is inhumane”.
“We do have to have a rules-based system, but we have to have a rules-based system that’s based on fairness and equity.”
Labour leader Ivana Bacik said she first contacted Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan, a former Gonzaga pupil, about the case late last year.
She raised the issue with the Taoiseach in the Dáil on Tuesday. Micheál Martin said he would ask O’Callaghan to “review” the case.
Bacik said that meant there was “a glimmer” of hope for the family, but time was running out.
“Of course, we all agree there must be a fair and effective migration and asylum system. Everybody agrees on that, but there must also be room within that system for humanity.”
A spokesman last week said the Department of Justice could not comment on individual cases.
“People can apply for international protection in Ireland if they have come to escape persecution in their own country or if they cannot return to their country because they have a well-founded fear for their safety,” a statement said.
“Both the International Protection Office and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal are fully independent in deciding whether or not to grant international protection. Each application is examined individually on its own merits, in line with national and international asylum law.
“People who have been refused international protection and have exhausted the appeals avenues through the IPAT are entitled to submit a request to review their permission to remain where their circumstances have changed since their initial application.”
The statement added that if a person’s application for international protection is refused and they are ordered to leave the State, “they must do so”.
“Their case to remain in the State has been considered in detail and the appeals processes have been concluded.
“Before a deportation order is made, the person is offered assistance to return home voluntarily. This is the preferred option, and the department runs a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to a deportation order issuing.”
