Policies and Reports

NUI Galway Deportation Positioning Statement

There are currently approximately eight thousand International Protection Applicants (IPAs) nationwide, residing in various forms of State-provided accommodation. Of those, approximately two hundred are currently studying in third level education and, of those, five are studying at NUI Galway . Students are particularly vulnerable to deportation, which often poses a threat to life if returned to their country of origin. However, Student’s Unions have recently supported students facing deportation orders through a number of successful campaigns. In 2018, the Dublin City University Students’ Union (DCUSU) mounted an effective campaign to prevent the forced deportation of one of their fellow students, Shepherd Machaya. The Students’ Union, supported locally by hundreds of DCU students and staff, and nationally by fellow students, community group and activists, petitioned outside the Department of Justice for a number of days to ensure that Shephard would not be deported. As a result of the petition, the deportation order was postponed. However, the stay on deportation order prolonged the ordeal, and still leaves Shephard in a state of limbo as his deportation date is continually postponed. Shepherd has stated that he is in a constant state of fear, waiting for the day where it will not be postponed.

Read the full NUI Galway Deportation Positioning Statement

University of Sanctuary Movement and Campaign Report

The National University of Ireland Galway has undertaken a series of strategies to develop, nurture, and sustain a welcoming environment on campus, particularly for those in Direct Provision, refugees, and members of the Traveller community. These strategies encompass an on-going institution-wide response to the unprecedented global refugee crisis and low levels of participation in higher education among the Traveller community, and to provide access to higher education opportunities at NUI Galway. We put forward this report which documents the process of developing and deepening the ‘NUI Galway University of Sanctuary’ movement and campaign as we endeavour to be recognised as an Irish University of Sanctuary, given our top-down and bottom-up commitments

Read the full Movement and Campaign Report 2016-2019

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