AITSU to protest in Dublin next week in a bid to halt deportation of local couple

Photo: Fortunate and Azwidohwi David Nesengani.

AIT Students' Union is ramping up a campaign in a bid to force the Minister for Justice to revoke a deportation order for social care student Azwidohwi David Nesengani, and his wife Fortunate.

The union will hold a public demonstration next Tuesday (August 18) in Dublin to protest the upcoming deportation of the couple who they describe as ”community heroes”.

In a statement, Athlone Institute of Technology Students’ Union confirmed they will stage a “funeral-like protest” because they strongly believe that David and Fortunate’s lives will be at risk if the deportation orders are not reversed.

President of AIT Students’ Union Áine Daly said: “David and Fortunate are two bright, extremely compassionate individuals who have gave so much to our community and have so much more to give. Please do not take this opportunity away from them.

“As College of Sanctuary students, protection must be available to them to continue with their education and to have the privilege of sustainability of life. They are two members of the AIT community and these orders have us heartbroken. Please Minister Helen McEntee revoke these orders, let David and Fortunate continue to be active members of our community and continue in their education, Please let them stay!”

With only 21 days to the couple's planned deportation order date of September 2, AIT Students' Union also released a video on its Facebook page this week making an impassioned plea for the pair to be allowed to stay in Ireland on humanitarian grounds.

“We need to get justice for David and Fortunate. Stop the deportation and stand up for human rights,” Kevin Packenham, Vice President Education, and Niall Naughton, Vice President Welfare and Equality both pleaded.

The pair also urged the public to sign an accompanying petition on change.org which already has over 700 signatures and to contact TDs, and the Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, in a bid to halt the deportation of the couple who have been living in direct provision in Lissywollen for over four years now.

Their case was highlighted in the Dáil earlier in the summer by the now Minister Robert Troy, who asked the Minister to lift the deportation order hanging over the Athlone residents.

While the department acknowledged representations had been made on behalf of the local couple in a bid to revoke the order, they could not say at that stage when a decision would be made. Minister Peter Burke has also pledged his support and has been in touch with Minister Helen McEntee in relation to their case.

Back in June, David issued an impassioned plea to the Minister in this newspaper to allow him to progress into the third year of his BA - Applied Social Studies in Social Care course in September, coming on foot of a successful placement in the Gateway Project in St Mary's Hall. He also tends a community garden in Lissywollen.

His wife, who spoke of the emotional toll that the process was taking on them, is a volunteer in the Vincents charity shop and has completed an Access course in Athlone IT and is an active member of her church Sunday School.

In recent weeks she has been making masks to protect residents of the direct provision centre against Covid-19.

According to AITSU, Fortunate had to flee Zimbabwe as a child to avoid recruitment to the Zimbabwe Liberation Army. When she married David she faced xenophobia from the community experiencing beatings, and her house being burned by a mob. She suffered a broken leg in these attacks and could not get treatment for this injury until she came to Ireland.

David has also experienced xenophobic attacks from the community with his house was burned in South Africa, the union said ahead of the protest next Tuesday in the capital where social distancing will be observed.

He previously worked as a community liaison officer in South Africa and he fears for his life if returned there.

AITSU said the couple's safety is not guaranteed if they deported to South Africa especially given that the country currently has 75% of the reported cases across the continent which is only continuing to grow.

“We truly believe to follow through with these deportation orders is signing the death warrant on our two students lives,” the AITSU statement claimed.

The original deportation order was served on the local couple back in February, however, in light of the Covid-19 crisis that was postponed until May 20, and then it was pushed out further until September 2.