Six failed asylum-seekers held in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, while awaiting deportation are entering their fourth official day of hunger-strikes today.
The action by the four Nigerians and two Algerians comes amid weekend criticism by refugee lobby groups of the authorities' plans to deport the men, some of whom are the parents of children born in Ireland.
Four of the men, aged in their 20s and 30s, started taking liquids at the weekend, although all have continued to refuse food. They have been visited daily by the prison doctor.
Mr Peter O'Mahony from the Irish Refugee Council said last night it was "richly ironic" that the anti-deportation hunger-strike should be taking place over St Patrick's Day. "When we are commemorating Ireland's best known immigrant we are deporting others who clearly want to stay here," he said.
Mr O'Mahony said it was unacceptable that Irish-born children entitled to stay in Ireland would be separated from their fathers if the deportations went ahead. All the men have deportation orders outstanding against them and were arrested earlier this month and last month after they failed to report to garda∅ to arrange departures as requested. Some of the men consulted legal teams over the weekend.
The group includes a Nigerian man, Mr Alabi Ayinde, who lost a High Court appeal against his deportation last week.
Some 150 people, including Mr Ayinde's wife and two Irish-born children, attended a protest outside the prison on Saturday organised by Residents Against Racism. Mr Ayinde, whose young family have been given permission to remain in Ireland, has a criminal record.
Failed asylum-seekers can be held for up to eight weeks while transport and travel documents for their repatriation, generally under Garda escort, are organised.