Deportation of family to UK should not proceed before 31st December

• Office of the Minister for Justice refused to halt transfer.
• Family should not be deported to UK now where new Covid strain is circulating.

Having received reports that a family with four young children are facing imminent deportation from Ireland to the UK by 31^st December, Labour Seanad Leader Ivana Bacik and spokesperson on Immigration has called on the government to guarantee that the family will not be deported now to the UK where there is a highly contagious new Covid-19 strain circulating, and where transport services have been halted.

The Labour spokesperson on Immigration noted that a determination was only made in respect of this family by the Minister as recently as last week, on 15/16 December.

Senator Bacik said:

“A young family is due to be deported to the UK by the end of the year, and I am calling on the Taoiseach and the Minister for Justice to intervene now to stop this. The Taoiseach last week said there would be no deportations to red zone countries but in this family’s case, there is no certainty now as we enter Christmas week that they won’t be picked up and transferred to the UK.

“Considering the highly contagious strain of Covid-19 now in circulation in Britain, and the deadline of 31^st December for the end of the Brexit transition period, it would be unconscionable for this deportation to proceed in the next 10 days.

“This family has been in Ireland since 2017, and the facts of the case are well known to the Minister and her Department.

“I have contacted the Minister directly on this case, would urge the Minister to state clearly that this family will not be removed from Ireland in the coming weeks.”