Nigerian Detained at Airport Though He Held Tourist Visa

Single Incident Alert DateSeptember 9, 2008 Country: Ireland Address: Dublin Airport General Type: Discrimination, Institutional discrimination Racism and discrimination phenomena: Anti-migrant/xenophobia, Afrophobia
Groups affected / Interested in: Ethnic minorities, Africans/black people Key socio-economic/institutional areas: Policing - law enforcement
Victims Data
Victims Nationality/Ethnic Origin Nigerian
Victims Gender Male
Victims Age N/A
Victims Number N/A
Fatalities - deaths N/A
Perpetrators Data
Perpetrators Nationality/Ethnic Origin Irish
Perpetrator Gender N/A
Perpetrator Age N/A
Perpetrators Number N/A
Extremist/Organised Group Violence No

"On September 9th, a Nigerian Catholic priest, Fr John Achebe, was arrested, strip-searched and placed in a prison cell overnight when he arrived in Dublin to visit a relative. Despite having a valid tourist visa, he was detained on suspicion of trying to enter the country illegally and was only released following the intervention of the Nigerian ambassador."

 

Source:

"Nigerian priest 'strip-searched' after flight into Dublin Airport" by Cormac Murphy in the Irish Herald - Friday 13 September 2008 

http://www.herald.ie/news/nigerian-priest-stripsearched-after-flight-into-dublin-airport-1474972.html

Also in "Ireland of the unwelcomes?" by Ruadhán MacCormaic, Migration Correspondent, in The Irish Times – Friday 26 September 2008 

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/features/2008/0926/1222357357243.html [subscription necessary for full access]