This week\u2019s deportation of children, who were deeply embedded in their local community, lacked sensitivity and compassion, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins.<\/p>\n
Deputy Cummins, who represents Dublin South-Central and is the party\u2019s spokesperson on education, said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThis operation, which saw five children included on a chartered deportation flight from Dublin, was cruel and lacking in humanity. There needs to be immediate accountability from the Department of Justice over how this was handled.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis was not simply the conclusion of a legal process \u2013 it was the abrupt uprooting of young lives. Some of these children had lived in Ireland for three years \u2013 they were in school, part of communities, and had formed friendships. They were removed without being afforded the time, dignity or emotional space to say goodbye to their classmates or teachers.<\/p>\n
\u201cDeporting children who have lived here for several years \u2013 and may have no real memories or connection to the country they originally came from \u2013 is deeply problematic. Pulling them from their lives with no warning can result in real emotional harm for them, and for their classmates and friends.<\/p>\n
\u201cChildren should not be punished for the State\u2019s failure to operate an effective, efficient and compassionate immigration system, where decisions on asylum applications routinely take many years.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis deportation has not just impacted the children involved, but also the wider school community in St James\u2019s Primary School in Dublin 8, where two of them attended. The Department\u2019s inconsiderate handling of this operation has resulted in a palpable sense of grief and distress within the school.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe government must take responsibility for the way this deportation was executed and confirm if any child protection or welfare professionals were consulted in advance. I will be asking the Minister for Justice if welfare assessments were made prior to the removal of these children.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am now calling for a full review of how deportations involving families and children are managed. We cannot call ourselves a modern, compassionate country and allow things like this to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
June 6, 2025<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" This week\u2019s deportation of children, who were deeply embedded in their local community, lacked sensitivity and compassion, according to Social Democrats TD Jen Cummins. Deputy Cummins, who represents Dublin South-Central and is the party\u2019s spokesperson on education, said: \u201cThis operation, which saw five children included on a chartered deportation flight from Dublin, was cruel and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[540,528,581,411,7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12645","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-children","category-immigration","category-jen-cummins","category-justice","category-press-release"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n