The Department of Justice is to extend a deadline for the acceptance of documents relating to residency applications for non-national parents of Irish-born children.
The move follows major delays at the Nigerian embassy in providing passports to citizens seeking to remain in Ireland.
The deadline for the acceptance of applications for the non-EU parents of Irish born-children was due to expire on March 31st.
However, the department has said it will accept documents relating to the applications for a "short period" after this deadline expires.
To date there have been 14,395 residency applications under the scheme. Approximately 3,000 positive decisions have been made on applications so far.
The move was welcomed yesterday by groups which had been calling for the Government to take a more lenient approach to applicants experiencing difficulties securing documentation from embassies and other authorities.
Rosanna Flynn, of Residents Against Racism, said: "There's a lot of stress and worry out there. There is chaos outside the Nigerian embassy, with people queuing up for hours without getting anywhere. We're very pleased to hear anything that helps alleviate that pressure."
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old Nigerian Leaving Certificate student deported earlier this week said he was attacked and robbed on arrival in Lagos.
Olunkunle "Kunle" Eluhania, who had been living in Ireland for almost five years, was deported in his school uniform after he reported to the Garda National Immigration Bureau last Monday.
In an e-mail to school friends yesterday, he said he was released from Alagbon prison in Lagos a short time after arriving but was later attacked and robbed on the streets.
He wrote: "I left the prison and had nowhere to go. In the process of walking around, I ran into some gangsters who thought I had money on me. I was attacked and molested . . . my clothes are torn, I'm starving and [have] no medication for injuries I have sustained.
"Please, I have nothing doing here. I need to go back to Dublin to finish my studies. I therefore need your support and solidarity towards bringing me back to Dublin as I'm wasting here in Nigeria."
His friends at Palmerstown Community School are helping to organise a protest outside the Dáil next Wednesday at 12.30pm to express anger at the deportations and call for his return to Ireland.
Neil Burke (18), a school friend, said Olunkunle Eluhania did not have any immediate family members in Nigeria.
"He's trying to be optimistic. We're trying to make contact with him, but the phone lines are so bad that it's hit and miss. He's finding it hard," he said.
Most of the 35 people deported were placed in custody and forced to pay €50 before being released, according to Ms Flynn.
