Five children were left behind when their parents were among those deported on a specially chartered aircraft to Nigeria yesterday morning.
Some 35 Nigerian nationals - 26 adults and nine children - were arrested on Monday at locations across the State and flown to Lagos in the early hours of yesterday.
Concern has also been expressed at the increasing number of "aged-out" minors being deported. As well as student Portia Osadiede (19), reported on yesterday, another Dublin student, Olunkunle Eluhanla (19), was deported "in his school uniform". Due to sit his Leaving Certificate in June, he had been in Ireland since he was 16, said Anthony Mayne, a fellow student at Palmerstown Community School.
"He is a very good friend of mine. I am devastated," said Mr Mayne. "He was not even given a chance to go home and pack his stuff. He was just arrested and brought to the airport. I was talking to him in Lagos. He was crying. He's stranded there, with no family or money or anything."
Such young adults, who arrive here as unaccompanied minors, are regarded as particularly vulnerable by those working with immigrants. Once they reach the age of 18, they are no longer in the care of the Health Service Executive.
"Most have no family in their original countries, have no money and having spent three or more years here, well, it's a big portion of their short lives," said Mary King of the Dún Laoghaire Refugee Support Group.
Also deported were Elizabeth Odumsi and Iyabo Nwanze, mothers of children left behind, according to the Residents Against Racism group. Ms Odumsi left three children and Ms Nwanze one, according to Rosanna Flynn of the group.
Another woman, arrested in Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, left a five-year-old daughter in the care of a friend, said Ms Flynn. "These are good mothers," she said. Though it appears Ms Nwanze was unable to get her son, who was at school when she was arrested, Ms Flynn said the others intended to leave their children here. "It shows how desperate they are, that they feel forced to make that decision that their children would be better in Ireland."
Ms Nwanze's son, Emmanuel, is in the care of a friend, who spoke to The Irish Times yesterday but did not want to be named. He said Ms Nwanze had brought her other son, aged six, with her to the Garda station in Athlone on Monday to sign on with the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Residents against Racism is to stage a protest outside the immigration bureau's headquarters on Burgh Quay at 12.30pm today.
