Nigerian family to fight deportation

A Nigerian mother and her three children who live in Birr, Co Offaly are to take last-minute legal action today to try to prevent…

A Nigerian mother and her three children who live in Birr, Co Offaly are to take last-minute legal action today to try to prevent their planned deportation.

Ms Elizabeth Salako claims her 11-year-old daughter would face female genital mutilation if forced to return to their native city of Lagos.

She says she herself has been subjected to the practice, also known as female circumcision, which is common in parts of Africa, the Middle East and South-East Asia.

Lawyers for the family will today seek leave in the High Court for judicial review proceedings. Ms Salako and her children had been due to report to the Garda station in Birr today on foot of a deportation order. However, they will seek a stay on this order pending the outcome of a future court hearing.

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The family arrived in Ireland in April 2000 and their application for refugee status has been refused. They have lived in Birr for almost two years, and their petition for leave to remain has attracted considerable local backing.

Their supporters include the parish priest of St Brendan's Church in the town, which Ms Salako and her children, Mary (11), Bosun (14) and Merve (10), have regularly attended since they converted to Catholicism this year.

In a letter supporting their application to be allowed stay in Ireland, Father Anthony Cahir said the family had integrated very well. "I feel they have great potential and will, I believe make a valuable contribution if allowed to do so."

Father Cahir said last night that the family "are looking for an opportunity to better themselves and they are possibly facing all kinds of problems and difficulties and troubles if they go back to Nigeria".

Ms Salako claims she was born a Muslim but became a Christian against her parents' wishes when her eldest son Bosun was born, as his father was a Christian. The two boys have attended St Brendan's Primary School in the town.

Its principal, Mr Michael Donegan, has said that to describe them as an exceptional family would be a complete understatement. He described the children as "obedient, bright, courteous and absolutely co-operative students". Bosun was selected as student of the year in his sixth-class year.

In his letter of support, Mr Donegan wrote: "I would consider such a family as an absolute asset to our country, its people and community life.

"To remove them from us would be a tragedy not just for this lovely family and for the children at this crucial stage of their educational and personal development, but also for the people in our community who have come to admire, respect and accept them completely into their hearts."

Mary is a keen camogie player who was this year selected for the school team at Mercy Primary School. The school coach presented her with her own hurley in the hope that she would play for Co Offaly in the future.

Since she was informed of her pending deportation, Ms Salako has suffered from "acute reaction depression", her GP, Dr Donal O'Brien, said in a further letter of support. The area's TD, Ms Olwyn Enright from Fine Gael, has also written a reference for the family.