Irish's college classmates save Nigerian boy, family from deportation

A Nigerian Igbo boy,  Nonso Muojeke (14) who attends Tullamore College in Ireland with his brother Viktor Muojeke and his mother Chidiebere Muojeke who were to be deported from Ireland have been allowed to remain in the country after his classmates mounted a campaign against his deportation.

The teenager moved to Ireland with his mother and older brother after his father died in 2007. The family reportedly fled Nigeria because of the ill-treatment Mr. Muojeke’s mother had faced.

However, their application for asylum was declined in 2009 and they were served with a deportation order.

Mr. Muojeke’s mother continued to engage with the State through solicitors but the family’s application for humanitarian leave to remain in 2017 was refused.

They were granted leave to remain in Ireland and their deportation document was revoked, after his fellow students and teachers had staged up an unthinkable campaign before the deportation.

This was achieved by a 21,000 signature-strong online campaign which was set up by his classmates at Tullamore College.

The protesters also printed posters of Nonso and shared on social media including taking to the streets in Ireland to campaign against the deportation.

The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of the Department of Justice and Equality in a statement confirmed that Nonso Muojeke and his family will be allowed to remain in Ireland.

In a  statement released by the Ireland’s Department of Justice, it was revealed that the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) had revoked the deportation order following “a detailed reconsideration of the family’s immigration case in light of court proceedings and the receipt of updated submissions from the family in September.

“The reconsideration was completed towards the end of last week with the relevant decision letters having been issued earlier this week,” the statement said.

Following this development, Nonso issued a statement on Wednesday evening following the announcement that he and his family had been granted leave to remain in Ireland.

“I would like to thank the Minister [for Justice] for the humane way in which he handled my case. I am very grateful to my friends, my school, the Tullamore community and everyone else who has supported me. I am really looking forward to my future here in Ireland.”

Since the deportation order had been revoked, the family have been offered the privilege to legally live and work in the country.