Speculation is rife that deportation of immigrants who have exhausted all avenues to enable them live legally in the State would rise in 2017 – following the move by the Department of Justice to adopt a proactive approach to deportation.

 

Figures provided by Justice show that 425 deportation orders were carried out in 2016 between 1 January and 7 December. More are believed to be planned for later this December, but the department said it “does not comment on proposed deportations”.

 

Nigeria tops the list of nationalities of persons deported so far this year with 178, nearly half of all removals from the State, followed by China with 59 deportations and Ghana with 16, while Brazil and Albania had 13 deportees each.

 

Justice said there are many reasons for deportations, including “refused leave to land at a port of entry, subject to a deportation order as they have been found to be unlawfully present in the State, or their permission to remain in the State has expired.”

 

Many avenues of appeal are available to those subject to a deportation order, including judicial review in the High Court. However, Justice says the safety of proposed deportees is considered in all cases. 

 

“Any relevant rights under the European Convention on Human Rights are also considered,” the department added.