Calls were made last night for the return of two Nigerian mothers who were deported to Lagos last week. They come in the light of Minister for Justice Michael McDowell's decision to bring back Olukunle Elukanlo to sit his Leaving Cert.
Two Athlone-based Nigerian families were broken up when mothers Elizabeth Odunsi and Iyabo Nwanze were among 35 people deported to Nigeria on March 14th.
The two women each brought one of their children with them, but their other children were left behind. Ms Nwanze's son Emmanuel (8), and Ms Odunsi's children Mabajoye (18), Oluwaseun (14), and Olwasegun (11), are all in hiding in the midlands to avoid deportation. The women had been rearing the children on their own.
A campaign has been launched to bring back Ms Odunsi and Ms Nwanze to their families. The two women were photographed with Taoiseach Bertie Ahern when he visited a local school last year.
Yesterday, Noel Casey, deputy principal of Our Lady's Bower School where one of Ms Odunsi's children is at school, described Mr McDowell's decision as "positive news".
He said he hoped there would be the same compassionate response to the other children who should be given the right to continue their education and "become good citizens of this state".
John O'Neill, principal of Summerhill National School which is campaigning for two of its pupils not to be deported, said Mr McDowell's about-turn showed that "ice can melt".
"It is sad that it took a group of schoolchildren to teach the Minister for Justice the meaning of the word justice."