Photograph: Dara Mac DónaillThe family at the centre of a large protest outside the Department of Justice earlier this month have been deported from Ireland. The family’s international protection application was rejected and a subsequent appeal was unsuccessful. Hundreds of people, including many schoolchildren, attended a protest in solidarity with the family outside the department on February 10th. “Both the International Protection Office and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal [IPAT] are fully independent in deciding whether or not to grant international protection. This is the preferred option, and the department runs a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to a deportation order issuing.”

Source: The Irish Times March 01, 2026 10:04 UTC