Man deported from Ireland wins appeal to apply for international protection again, Open the Migrant Floodgates?

Updated / Thursday, 14 Aug 2025 09:17

A man who was deported from Ireland to Nigeria earlier this summer has been granted leave to return to Ireland to look again for international protection, effectively overturning his deportation order.

The man, in his 30s, had been working at a chicken farm in Co Cavan and arrested for deportation in May.

He was on one of the three Government deportation flights this year and taken to Lagos in Nigeria.

He said he faced persecution in Nigeria and threats to his life because he is gay. In Nigeria, same-sex sexual activity is punishable by up to 14 years in prision.

However, as first reported by The Journal.ie, he has been granted another opportunity to receive internation protection following a decision by the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT).

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland on the condition of anonymity, the man described his experience being deported.

He said: “They did not take me to the deportation centre, they took me to the prison so it was a very, very bad experience there.

“They asked me if I knew where I was going and I said no. They said I’m going to Lagos (Nigerian capital), so I said why, what is my offence?

“They said it’s not their fault….they’re just doing their job, so they took us to the airport.

“The situation (in Nigeria) is very, very critical. If I want to go outside I have to wear a hoody and cover my face using a face mask. It’s a very, very bad experience for me, honestly.”

Solicitor with Dublin-based firm Ferry Solicitors Ana Milward said the International Protection Office (IPO) had rejected his application.

However, IPAT accepted a police document saying he was wanted by the Nigerian authorities as new evidence and set aside the decision, allowing him to return to Ireland to apply for international protection again.

However, he now has just ten working days to register.

Ms Milward told the same programme: “The IPO said his subsequent application was the exact same as the first one, but the tribunal member said that it was accepting the police report as new evidence and they were recommending that the Minister for Justice should grant him the opportunity to again make an application for international protection.

“At the moment he’s trying to come back to Ireland because he will need to apply for the visa first. I’ve been in touch with the Department of Justice to see if they can give him an extention of time to register with the IPO….he only has ten days.”

In a statement, the Department of Justice said it does not comment on individual cases.

However, it highlighted that “acceptance of such an appeal by IPAT does not mean that the applicant has been successful in being granted international protection”.