Woman's asylum application rejected without interview

One of the 47 Romanian gypsies whose applications for asylum in Ireland were rejected by the Department of Justice was turned down even though she had never been granted an interview.

Ms Rodica Stana was in hospital in Monaghan preparing to give birth to her first child when her colleagues were bussed to Dublin for their interviews in August.

Although she has not been interviewed since, she and her relatives received a refusal notice from the Department three weeks later.

She was told her application had been refused because of information she had given in writing. It is believed she gave her reason for seeking asylum here as "the same as my husband's".

Groups campaigning for asylum-seekers say the case is further evidence of the Department's desire to implement a policy of "mass deportations".

"It shows that people are being treated as statistics," said Mr Pat Guerin of the Anti-Racism Campaign. To protest against their treatment, Ms Stana and her Irish-born baby and the other Romanians will today picket the Department's "one-stop shop" for handling asylum claims.

Because she was born here, Ms Stana's daughter is an Irish citizen, and her mother enjoys rights of residency. The extent of these rights is being contested in the courts.

The 47 Romas, all from the Arad region of eastern Romania, were smuggled into Ireland in freight containers in July. They spent 48 hours in the container before being discovered by gardai at Rosslare. All say that as members of the Roma ethnic minority in Romania they suffer persecution and discrimination.

Shortly after arriving, they were moved to Castleblayney, Co Monaghan, and put up in a holiday hostel.

The Department's decision to refuse the group asylum was one of the fastest it has made. It is believed to want to deter more gypsies from coming to Ireland.

This tactic may have backfired, as the speed of the decision has brought Monaghan people to their aid, and their case has attracted media attention.

Support groups have been formed, and Mr James MacGuill, a Dundalk solicitor, has agreed to represent the group.

He expected the appeals would take some time, due to linguistic difficulty and the complexities of the Romas' situation in Romania.

However, it is understood the Department has allocated one hour for each hearing at the appeal tribunal. If it is rejected, the asylum-seeker will be sent back to Romania, unless the Minister for Justice allows the person to stay on humanitarian grounds.

At the original interviews no one was available to translate from Roma, the gypsies' mother tongue.

Supporters claim the authorities are reluctant to allow members of the group to move out of the hostel and into private housing, although it is available. Two other women in the group are pregnant.