THE Irish Refugee Council has criticised the British and Irish governments for their handling of the deportation of four asylum seekers, including a pregnant woman with a heart condition.
The two couples, one from Russia and one from Moldova, were deported to Britain by ferry from Dun Laoghaire yesterday afternoon by the Department of Justice.
The four were deported to Britain as it was the first safe country they arrived in where they had the chance to apply for asylum. It is the practice of European governments to return asylum seekers to the first safe country they arrive in.
The council, however, is challenging this practice which, it says, is unfair and has led to people being denied the right to seek asylum.
The Russian couple arrived in the Republic in January from Britain, according to the council, which is legally representing the four. The Moldovans arrived last October, having spent some months in Britain. All four arrived with temporary British visas.
One of the women has a heart condition related to her pregnancy, and her husband is deaf and mute. The other man also has a heart condition.
The Russian couple said they felt unsafe in Britain as they had been identified by people from their country of origin whom they feared, according to the council.
The British Home Office has given a verbal commitment to examine the applications for asylum, according to the council.
The council insists that the four should not have been deported to Britain until the Government received assurances in writing that their asylum applications would be dealt with there.
"Three weeks ago, we asked for written assurances from the Home Office and the Department of Justice and we didn't get them," said the council's director, Ms Nadette Foley.
"The Department told us it was happy that the Home Office would deal with the asylum application, but our concern is that there is no written confirmation of that."
A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said it was not its policy to comment on individual cases.