An anti-deportation march protesting at Government treatment of refugees, asylum seekers and migrant workers staged a rally outside the GPO in Dublin, yesterday and then marched to the Department of Justice.
Almost 250 people supported the demonstration organised by Residents Against Racism, and speakers outside the GPO voiced support for an amnesty for all asylum seekers to remain in Ireland and be given the right to work.
"I support an amnesty for all asylum seekers to stay in Ireland and also that they are granted the right to work. We are degrading people by not allowing them the right to work," said Labour TD Michael D Higgins. This year, Ireland and Denmark were the only European countries to opt out of the EU reception directive that allows some asylum seekers to work.
Mick O'Reilly of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union said: "Spain and Belgium granted an amnesty for asylum seekers, Ireland can do so too. Asylum seekers have become integrated and should be allowed to stay."
Rosanna Flynn of Residents Against Racism said it was wrong to deport asylum seekers. "Let them stay, we need workers. There is a whole pool of people here who want to work more than anything in the world and contribute to the economy."
The demonstration also highlighted the plight of asylum seekers deported from Ireland such as Nkeche Okoli and her three children from Castleblayney and Elizabeth Olunzi and Iyabo Nwanze from Athlone.
Some of Elizabeth and Iyabo's children were left behind and are in hiding in the midlands.
Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins, Sinn Féin's Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Michael D Higgins, all raised the issue of Minister for Justice Michael McDowell's recent statements to the justice committee about "bogus asylum seekers' cock-and-bull stories". He had said he would like to meet them at the airport and send them back home, but "unfortunately, the UN convention requires me to go through due process in respect of all these claims".
Mr Higgins said his comments were "extraordinarily ignorant . . . McDowell represents an intolerant elite that think they can insult the UN". Joe Higgins said the comments were "incredible" and spoke of the enormous suffering of people who come here seeking asylum.