Classmates at Tullamore College in support of Nonso Muojeke

Minister urged to allow Muojeke family stay on humanitarian grounds

Teacher at Tullamore College Joe Caslin says now is the time for Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan to intervene to allow the the Muojeke family remain in Ireland on humanitarian grounds.

The family who live in Tullamore had their case heard at the Immigration Appeals Tribunal on Tuesday, and were unsuccessful in their bid to have their deportation order back to Nigeria overturned.

Nonso Muojeke, now 14 years old and a student at Tullamore College, and brother Victor who attends college in Limerick, sought asylum here along with their mother in 2006. All now call Ireland home.

A petition called on SaveNonso.ie has now gathered over 18,000 signatures, while a video featuring friends of both Nonso and Victor, aimed at Minister Flanagan, has been watched over 10,000 times.

The family has just 10 days to bring a case before the Supreme Court if they are to avoid deportation back to Nigeria.

"They only have ten days, it's just devastating news for the family and for everyone involved, including the school community and friends of Nonso who is just 14," stresses teacher Joe Caslin.

"This is causing major collateral damage to the community. There are over 100 students in Nonso's class and they are all devastated. The principal has been dealing with the fallout from the kids and parents who are all worried about Nonso and his family's future.

"We are appealing to Minister Charlie Flanagan to intervene. Minister Flanagan said it was always out of his hands because it was going through the courts, but there is a 10-day window there now for him to take a humanitarian approach to this and look at it for the genuine case that it is. 

"The Muojeke family are a genuine and good family. They have so much to offer and Ireland is their home now. Everyone in the community is behind them, all their friends, all the business people, all the politicians. Nobody wants to see this family deported. Everyone has banded together in an attempt to keep their friends here.

"Our Taoiseach Leo Varadkar stated that compassion should be placed at the centre of all our laws. Now, I know he was talking in relation to the recent referendum when he said that, but I'd encourage him to follow through on his pioneering words in this instance.

"There is a 14-year-old child here at the centre of all this. It has been nothing but ongoing trauma for him and his family. I would ask Minister Flanagan to use his ministerial discretion here," urged Mr Caslin.

"All this talk of setting a precedent and 'opening the floodgates', well I would argue that if there are more children like this, like Nonso, that they should be allowed stay in Ireland too. It can only be a couple of hundred children. That's what we have to face up to and we have to take responsibility here."

Last week, Carol Nolan TD raised the Muojeke's family plight in the Dáil, also seeking intervention from the Miniser for Justice and Equality.

“Do you accept that a 14-year-old who has spent 12 of those years in Ireland under that asylum system is a de facto Irish resident and, would, in your opinion, the deportation of an entire family of two teenage brothers and their widowed mother who are integrated into Irish society, back to the legal ownership of the mother’s brother-in-law, have a negative impact on family life?" she questioned Charlie Flanagan. “Nonso and Victor Muojeke and their mother is one such family” said Nolan.

Deputy Nolan stated that she will continue to advocate for clemency for the Muojeke family and commended the local community on their campaigning and petitioning.

Meanwhile, Depity Barry Cowen has also written to the Minister for Justice requesting that he uses his right as Minister to grant leave to remain for the Muojeke family.

“Irrespective of the Tribunal’s decision, I believe that the Minister must ensure that this family are allowed to remain in Ireland which has been, for all intents and purposes, their home for the past 11 years," commented Dep Cowen.

“This family have integrated well into the local community; they identify as Irish, the children are excelling in school, and should be allowed to stay in this country.

“I do not believe that the decision to not grant them Humanitarian Leave to remain in 2017 was right or proper. Minister Fitzgerald, the then Justice Minister, by not ensuring that the best interests of the children were taken into account, failed to do the right thing.

“The family are not a burden on the State, have never claimed social welfare benefits or indeed Children’s Allowance, and have always attempted to deal honestly with the INIS and Department.

“I am imploring the Minister to do the right thing by Mrs Muojeke, and her two sons, Victor and Nonso, and let them stay in the country that they now call home,” concluded Cowen.