The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform has been criticised by the Irish Refugee Council for "ignoring" the European Court of Human Rights and allowing the deportation of a Nigerian woman.
Legal representatives for Ms Suliat Ibrahim (20) made an application challenging a deportation order made by the department to the European Court of Human Rights on Saturday.
The legal officer to the Irish Refugee Council (IRC), Mr Doug Cubie, said he was "shocked" the department had "shown utter contempt for international obligations, and the European Court of Human Rights in particular" and had "ignored" her application.
Ms Ibrahim was resident in the State since she was 17 and claimed that she faced persecution as a Christian woman in northern Nigeria.
Despite efforts made by the IRC and other refugee rights groups to prolong Ms Ibrahim's stay in Ireland, Mr Cubie said Irish authorities had not interviewed her and that the case "was not properly examined".
The IRC has called on the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell, to allow Ms Ibrahim to return to Ireland until the European Court has ruled on her application. This could take up to a year, says Mr Cubie.
Although the department refused to comment on the case, it is understood Ms Ibrahim was given two opportunities to attend an interview with the Refugee Applications Commissioner but refused to show up.
A spokesman for the department added: "The decision to make a deportation does not come out of the blue, but rather at the end of a series of processes" and is the "culmination of an exhaustive examination" of the non-national's case to stay in the country.
Confirmation was received by the IRC on Monday that the department were aware of Ms Ibrahim's application to the European Court of Human Rights. The department said this application was not part of the asylum application process.