Croke Park demonstration in support of Palestine kids denied entry for GAA tour
Earlier, the Department of Justice refused visas to the group of Gaelic football players from Palestine. A lack of compliance with visa application criteria is the reason given for the visa denials.
GAA Palestine, which had planned to bring the 33 Palestinian children and young teenagers to Ireland, has vowed to appeal against the decision and said the setback would not 'deter' them.
The team of children and 14 of their mentors were to travel to Ireland later this week for a tour, but were denied entry.
The tour was scheduled to begin on July 18, with more than 100 Irish families volunteering to host the Palestinian group, and numerous GAA clubs fundraising to support the visit.
In a statement, the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration said the visas were rejected due to a lack of compliance to visa application criteria.
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The Journal
34 minutes ago
- The Journal
Case of Irish tourist detained in US after outstaying visa by three days 'disgraceful'
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Speaking to The Journal , O'Dwyer said he was 'not surprised' to hear about the case. 'This is not unusual for what has basically become a very cruel way of enforcing the law in the United States right now,' he said. Since he came into office, US President Donald Trump has been pouring resources into arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants as he aims to carry out the immigration purge that was promised during his presidential campaign. Today, the Washington Post is reporting that immigrants who arrive in the US without documents will no longer be eligible for bond hearings and will be detained for the duration of their removal proceedings, which can take months or years. 'They are ratcheting it up so that they can keep people in detention for as long as they want and and that's as frightening as as can be,' O'Dwyer said. The man who spoke to The Guardian is the latest Irish person to be detained by US immigration officials in recent months. Last month, a Donegal man who had lived in Boston for more than 15 years was deported to Ireland less than a month after he was detained for violating his visa waiver. The man, who is the father to two American-born children, had joined the waiting list for green card applications three years ago . In April, Irish woman Cliona Ward, who has been a legal resident of California for 30 years, was detained by ICE for three weeks after returning from a trip to Ireland to visit her sick father. Related Reads Irish woman detained by US immigration to be released after charges dropped in court 'Fear across the board' for undocumented Irish in the United States, says immigration lawyer Undocumented Irish not forgotten as Harris says immigration is 'sensitive' topic in US right now She was taken into custody after complying with a request to report to an immigration facility and presented documents showing that her decades-old drug and motor vehicle convictions had been expunged, which was not recognised under federal law. She was released in May . O'Dwyer said the details of the length of time the man was detained is similar to the experiences of people he knows of who were detained. 'Once they were told that they were out of status and they had to go, what they said to the immigration authorities was 'Okay, I'm ready to go. I'll get on the plane and go'. But they kept them in detention for many, many days, basically just to give them a hard time.' 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Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
36 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Alan Shatter criticised for comparing Occupied Territories Bill to 'Father Ted'
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Irish Independent
an hour ago
- Irish Independent
‘It still doesn't feel real' – Irish tourist detained by US immigration authorities for overstaying visa by three days
The 35-year-old tech worker and father of three, travelled to West Virginia to visit his girlfriend last autumn under the visa waiver program, which allows tourists to stay in the country for 90 days. The Guardian reports the man's medical records show he was unable to travel as planned last December due to a health issue, but he was detained in three different US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities for around 100 days. He agreed to deportation when he was first arrested, but the man remained in detention and was not returned home until March of this year, when he said he was banned from entering the US for ten years. It comes amid a broader crackdown on immigration by the Trump administration, which has included increased checks for visa applicants, including the 'thorough vetting' of social media accounts. Earlier this year, Irish woman Cliona Ward, who lived in the US since she was a teenager, was detained for more than two weeks in relation to decades old convictions that she understood had been expunged. The Guardian has reported that 'Thomas', who could not be named as he feared facing further consequences with US authorities, planned to return home in October last year but tore his calf, which led to severe swelling and difficulties walking. "Thomas' told The Guardian that a doctor ordered him not to travel for 8 to 12 weeks due to the risk of blood clots which meant he had to stay beyond December 8, when his visa expired. He said he contacted the Irish and US embassies and the Department of Homeland Security to seek an extension, but acknowledged it was short notice and did not hear back. "I thought they would understand because I had the correct paperwork. It was just a couple of days for medical reasons.' While visiting his girlfriend's family in Georgia, he suffered a mental health episode and someone, who had overheard a conflict between the pair in their hotel room, called the police. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more His girlfriend told The Guardian that she hoped officers would get him treatment and did not want him to face criminal charges, but he was taken to jail and accused of 'falsely imprisoning' her in the room. He was soon released on bond but was picked up by US immigration authorities, who transported him to an ICE processing center in Folkston, Georgia. Despite signing a removal order agreeing to his deportation, he remained in detention and was at one point transported to a federal prison for criminal defendants where he said detainees were 'treated less than human' and he 'didn't see the sky for weeks.' He was escorted back to Ireland by two armed federal officers after being transferred to another facility in March, though The Guardian reports it remains unclear why he was jailed for so long for a minor immigration violation. 'I'll never forget it, and it'll be a long time before I'll be able to even start to unpack everything I went through. It still doesn't feel real,' he said. A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said it is 'aware of this case and has provided consular assistance. As with all consular cases, the Department does not comment on the details of individual cases. 'The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade publishes advice for outward travel in respect of over 200 countries and territories. The advice provides an objective assessment of the risks individuals could face if travelling overseas, with a view to helping them to make informed decisions for themselves. This includes recently revised travel advice in regard to citizens traveling to the United States. 'All of our travel advice is reviewed regularly and updated based on consultation with our Embassies and Consulates on the ground, the relevant local authorities in each country, and our international partners, together with our domestic partners where appropriate.'
