A Nigerian who went on hunger strike at Mountjoy Prison after his application for asylum failed has taken small quantities of food in recent days but is refusing full meals, the Irish Prisons Service said yesterday.
Mr Alabi Ayende (30) has been protesting at the prison since March 13th after he was arrested to await deportation.
Representatives of the immigrant support group, Residents Against Racism, who visited him last Friday, said they were worried at his condition.
"He was very weak. He is not in particularly good health to start with and this has taken a lot out of him," said spokeswoman Ms Rosanna Flynn.
A prisons service spokesman said yesterday there was no immediate concern for Mr Ayende's health. "He is continuing his protest but he is being seen daily by a doctor and the governor and he has access to the chaplain if he wants. We have no concerns about him at the moment."
The spokesman said the prisoner had not been moved to the medical unit in the prison because it was not considered necessary.
Ms Flynn, however, claimed Mr Ayende had refused to go to the unit because he feared being deported while medicated.
Five other asylum-seekers awaiting deportation originally joined Mr Ayende on hunger strike but they began accepting food after a few days.
Ms Flynn said Mr Ayende did not want to return to Nigeria because he feared for the safety of his pregnant wife and two young children, who had permission to stay in Ireland.
"Mrs Ayende has medical problems that need hospital treatment that she will not receive in Nigeria but she doesn't want to stay here without her husband.
"The deportation order against Alabi is effectively a deportation order against the entire family, which makes nonsense of the decision to let his wife and children stay."