A Nigerian man has been allowed to apply for international protection despite having been deported from Ireland.
The man, in his 30s, said he was forced to flee Nigeria in 2011 after being seen engaged in same-sex activities with another man.
He appealed for asylum in Ireland on November 2nd, 2020, to the International Protection Office (IPO), but was turned down.
The IPO decision was confirmed by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).
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He was issued with a deportation order on June 18th last year and told to leave the State within a month. He was eventually deported last May.
The man, whose name has not been given, submitted a claim that the police in Nigeria were looking for him last year, but IPAT did not consider it a credible piece of evidence.
While in Lagos, he appealed again stating that as a gay man he could not live safely in Nigeria.
Under that country’s Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2014, those caught engaging in same-sex relationships can spend up to 14 years in jail.
The man’s legal counsel provided further evidence that the police were looking for him and gave corroborating evidence from other sources.
The man was allowed to return to Ireland.
The tribunal accepted a second police report from November 19th last year, confirming the man was being sought in connection with same-sex activities.
The tribunal concluded that “through no fault of his own” the man was unable to present the facts during his initial application. He could therefore apply again for international protection.
The man works in a chicken farm in Co Monaghan and presented character references from his Irish employers.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, on condition of anonymity, he described his experience of being deported.
“They did not take me to the deportation centre. They took me to the prison, so it was a very, very bad experience there,” he said.
“They asked me if I knew where I was going and I said no. They said I’m going to Lagos [Nigeria’s largest city], so I said why, what is my offence?
“They said it’s not their fault ... they’re just doing their job, so they took us to the airport.
“The situation [in Nigeria] is very, very critical. If I want to go outside I have to wear a hoody and cover my face using a face mask. It’s a very, very bad experience for me, honestly.”
