Deported Nigerian man returns to Ireland after proving that he was sought by police for same-sex activity
Credit: Graham Horn, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
A Nigerian man repatriated to Lagos from Ireland has won his appeal to return to Ireland after convincing Irish authorities that the police in his country are seeking him for having sexual relations with a fellow man.
The unnamed Nigerian, in his 30s, relocated to Ireland in 2011. He claimed he fled after he was caught in a sexual relationship with another man.
He lived quietly in Ireland until November 2nd, 2020, when he applied to the International Protection Office (IPO) for asylum but was turned down.
He then turned to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) for a reconsideration. The tribunal rejected his appeal again.
Subsequently, he was on June 18th, 2024 ordered to leave Ireland within a month. He lingered in the country until he was caught, put in prison and then deported to Lagos in May of this year.
While in Nigeria, the man refused to give up. He filed yet another claim that the police in Nigeria were looking for him.
However, IPAT ruled that his evidence was not credible.
The man filed yet another claim with the assistance of his lawyer, claiming that as a gay man, he could not live safely in Nigeria.
He stated that Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2014 imposes a jail term of 14 years on anyone caught in same-sex relationships in the country.
The man’s lawyer provided additional evidence from other sources indicating that the man was being sought by the police.
This time around, IPAT found his appeal credible, especially the second police report filed on 19 November 2024, stating that the man was wanted for having sexual relations with a fellow man. The tribunal allowed him to return to Ireland.
The gay man, who works in a chicken farm in County Monaghan, Ireland, was able to get his Irish employers to give good character references for him.
The man told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, on condition of anonymity, that he had a terrible experience throughout the process of deportation.
According to him, he was not taken to a deportation centre, but to prison. From there, he was taken to the airport, from where he was dispatched to Nigeria.
He claimed that his situation in Nigeria was critical as he had to wear a hoodie and cover his face using a face mask to go out.
