An Athlone group opposed to the recent deportations of Nigerians met last night and announced it will step up its campaign.
A large deputation is expected to travel from the midlands for Saturday's national protest march in Dublin, and is also to mount a campaign in the Athlone area.
Frank Young, press relations officer for the group, said: "The meeting was an extremely positive one, with a number of new people coming along to offer their support and to work for the return of Elizabeth Odunsi and Iyabo Nwanze, and their two young children, who were among the 35 people deported back to Lagos on March 14th."
He added: "We will also be putting up posters and flyers inside the next few days to hammer home the message that these people were taken from their lives in the Athlone community, separated from the rest of their children, and sent back to Lagos."
Rosanna Flynn of Residents Against Racism said Saturday's demonstration would see protesters march from the GPO to the Garda National Immigration Bureau at Burgh Quay.
"We are calling on the Department of Justice to bring back all who were deported on that flight out of Dublin airport on March 14th. We want the deportations stopped, and we believe the issue of deportations should be taken out of the hands of politicians and given to the Human Rights Commission," she said.
More than 4,000 signatures have been gathered in protest at the deportations in Athlone recently, and the anti-deportation groups say more will be obtained over coming days.