An Angolan man who fears being killed if he is deported from Ireland is to apply to the High Court this morning for an injunction to halt his deportation.
Mr Sebastiao Mpelbele Kalamandua, who is currently an apprentice dancer at the Irish Modern Dance Theatre, has been told to report to the Garda National Immigration Bureau, Dublin, this afternoon. He fears his deportation is imminent.
Mr Kalamandua will argue in the High Court that his deportation order is unsound. The order was signed by the Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, in June, and was served on Mr Kalamandua less than two weeks ago.
He claims that since June a number of submissions have been made to the authorities supporting his case to stay in Ireland. These should have been considered during his appeal against the refusal of the State to grant him asylum but were not, he will claim.
The 32-year-old father of three has been in Ireland, without his family, since 2001. He was studying architecture in the Congo in 1999 when he was conscripted into the army. According to his account, he worked in the Angolan secret service but was accused by the authorities of disclosing classified information to rival political factions and was imprisoned.
He claims while in prison he was tortured. He escaped in 2001 with the help of a friend and came to Ireland in August of that year.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/irishtimes/564969e4-d81d-474d-b348-d41dfe1aeced.png)