A Nigerian campaigner on women's health issues, who is facing deportation and whose supporters felt might have been deported yesterday, has been told to report to the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) on Thursday week.
Women's and immigrants' rights campaigners have called for a stay on the deportation of Ms Juliet Imiruaye (49). She reported to GNIB headquarters in Dublin yesterday after having been told to do so, giving rise to concern that she might have been deported immediately.
Ms Imiruaye says she fled Nigeria five years ago as her life was endangered due to her outspoken campaign against the practice of female genital mutilation.
A victim of the practice herself, she has also warned of the probability of female genital mutilation here as immigrant communities increase.
She has lectured and written on immigrant women's health issues.
Groups such as the National Women's Council and the Irish Family Planning Association have said "her knowledge" should not be lost to Ireland and that she has a "huge contribution to make to our understanding of immigrant women's health."
Among others calling on the Government not to deport Ms Imiruaye are Cómhlamh and Residents Against Racism, the Labour Party, the Green Party, Sinn Féin, and Senator Mary Henry.
