While the deportation was legal, what happened in the weeks leading up to it raises urgent questions about how this State enforces deportation orders and the cruelty of the system which is now in place. The law allows those with deportation orders to be detained for up to 56 days to facilitate removal. The prison system, already under strain, was plainly not equipped for such an intake. No one disputes that the State should have the power to enforce deportation orders, but enforcement must be humane. We are at a crossroads in history where international law and human rights are being eroded by the day.

Source: Irish Examiner March 04, 2026 00:50 UTC