He was the narrator at the school nativity play. Now George and his parentsface deportation. Kitty Holland reports.
When Olga Boldyreda and Alex Sidorov's baby boy was born, at Christmas time seven years ago, he made the front page of Cork's evening paper, the Evening Echo.
George was Cork's first Russian baby, the paper declared, with words of welcome for the new arrival. Now, however, he faces deportation and an unclear future.
His parents, from Lipetck in central Russia, were studying English at the city's North Monastery Language Institute when George was born. Though Olga and Alex returned to Russia two months later, they knew they would probably come back to Ireland for George's sake. "He likes school very much and speaks English now very fluently. He is even learning Irish now. And he likes it too," laughs Olga.
"He is so glad to go to school. If we went back to Russia he would not have a good future because he could not get full education. And he is such a clever boy. I know he could work in a good profession."
While we talked just before Christmas at their flat in the Liberties area of Dublin, Alex excused himself, to attend George's nativity play that morning in school. "He is the narrator," smiled Alex, clutching a camera.
They say they understand the "anxiety of the Government".
"The country needs working people, not just spongers. But we are worried. If we must go back to Russia we will. But we are worried for George. His future would not be good, because in Russia, he is considered Irish.
"In Russia he is a foreigner. He cannot get free education after eighth grade [age 14\], or free medical care," says Olga. "He is not entitled even to the few things a Russian can get. And it is a poor country where you need friends with power to do well.
"We are trying to give him an education. All our efforts are for him." The family arrived back in Ireland in early January and submitted documentation supporting their claim for residency on the basis of George's Irish citizenship.
"But two or three days after, the \ Court made its decision." It ruled in mid-January that residency could no longer be claimed on the basis of being the parent of a child born here. Before the ruling, immigrants who had entered the State - whether as asylum-seekers, migrant workers or students - could claim residency if they had a child here.
The ruling, and the subsequent announcement by the Department of Justice that it intended deporting families who had claimed but had not been granted residency on the basis of an Irish-born child, has put up to 11,000 families in what the Immigrant Council of Ireland describes as "legal limbo".
About 1,000 letters have been sent to families telling them of the Department's intention to deport them, and giving them 15 working days to explain why they should not be deported. With no free legal aid, most feel powerless to fight the deportation.
A number of organisations, including the Irish Refugee Council, and the Immigrant Council, have come together as the Coalition Against the Deportation of Irish Children (CADIC). It has called for the regularisation of all families who had made claims for residency before the January Supreme Court decision.
Olga and Alex have not received one of the dreaded letters, but they are preparing for it. They both have third-level education and would like to work here. Alex, who ran an import and export business in Russia, has connections throughout Eastern Europe which he believes "will be very useful for Ireland in May" when the accession countries join the EU.