Twenty-five Indian asylum-seekers imprisoned in Limerick last weekend have had their period of detention extended for a further 10 days.
At a sitting of the Circuit Court last night, Judge Tom O’Donnell extended the men’s detention in Limerick prison.
Mr Ed Horgan, from the Dorus Luimní group which is affiliated to the Irish Refugee Council, told ireland.comthat he had just visited the men in prison. He said that they were being kept together there and being well looked after.
However, he said that he was "protesting against their being held in prison at all."
"It was a wrong decision by the Government," said Mr Horgan. "It is the first time that asylum-seekers have been imprisoned in this manner and I don’t think it’s justified."
Mr Horgan said that the men’s imprisonment was part of an increasing European Union policy of "slamming the door" to asylum-seekers.
The men were held by gardaí last Saturday after leaving an Aeroflot flight from Moscow to Cuba when it made a refuelling stop in Shannon Airport.
The men were subsequently taken to Limerick Prison as they had no Irish visas. Yesterday they lodged applications to remain here as refugees fleeing persecution.
Because they have claimed asylum, the men, 24 of whom are said to be Sikhs, will be allowed to remain in Ireland while their cases are processed.
