Deported Romanian tells of plight

Angelica Incze (28) is ashamed to look at the passport of her baby daughter, Aisling. "It says 'Nationality: Irish' and they have thrown my baby out of her country."

Speaking yesterday from Sibiu, in central Romania, Angelica described how she and her husband Nicolai arrived in Cork "in a big truck" in November 2000. Nicolai, she said, had been a political prisoner under the Ceausescu regime and found it impossible to get work. "We heard from friends we could have a better chance in Ireland."

They went first to Galway, where they stayed for some months with Nicolai's sister, Rodica. They made asylum applications and in July 2001 Angelica found she was pregnant. The couple moved to Dublin and Aisling was born in the Rotunda on March 10th, 2002.

In April 2002 Angelica and Nicolai withdrew from the asylum process and applied for residency on the basis of having an Irish daughter. "In November I received a telegram telling me my mother was very sick and might die. We went to Stephen's Green [Department of Justice] and showed them the telegram and our ID and asked what would be our chance of getting a visa to come back if we go to Romania." They were advised to wait until a decision had been made on their application.

In April last year Angelica decided to bring Aisling to the Immigration Unit and again ask if she could visit her mother in Romania. Angelica was told a deportation order had been made against her family. Angelica insists she did not get such an order. She was brought to the airport, and, accompanied by two gardaí, arrived in Bucharest at 11.30 that night. Nicolai was deported also. They may not leave Romania for five years, Angelica said.