The Union of Students in Ireland (USI) has hit out at the government after an official deportation order was issued to Dublin City University (DCU) student Mehwish Saqib.
Saqib, who is studying early childhood development as part of the University of Sanctuary programme, announced on Twitter today that she had been issued with a deportation order from Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan. “Its very devastating news for me and my family”, she wrote.
Speaking to The University Times this evening, USI President Lorna Fitzpatrick said the deportation order was “very very disappointing”.
“Any student who is studying under a university of sanctuary scholarship programme should be protected from these types of orders”, she said, adding: “She shouldn’t be sent back to a country where she’s unsafe.”
Fitzpatrick said it was unfair of the government to issue the order to Saqib, who said on Twitter that she was “very thankful all the people from @DCUSU, all my class mate and every single person who is standing with me before and now in this sad situation”.
“It’s unfair of our government to do this to a student who’s really excelled in her studies and provided so much to the community in which she studies”, said Fitzpatrick.
Flanagan, she said, did not respond to an open letter that the USI sent to him asking him to revoke the order.
DCUSU launched a petition earlier this month when Saqib, originally from Pakistan, was first given the deportation notice. The petition currently has over 7,600 signatures.
Last yeah, Shephard Machaya, another University of Sanctuary student in DCU, was threatened with deportation to Zimbabwe. DCUSU launched a petition calling on Flanagan to revoke Machaya’s deportation order, and staged demonstrations outside the Department of Justice and Equality.
Six Irish universities have introduced scholarships for people in direct provision under the University of Sanctuary programme.
Trinity is not currently part of the programme, but last year approved four scholarships for students living in direct provision.
