Filipino worker, family fear deportation after visa expiry By Simon Walsh A Filipino who has worked in Ireland for eight years fears that he and his family could face deportation after the expiration of his work visa.
John Recto – one of four workers sacked by Green Isle Foods in July 2009 – joined last week’s hunger strike in protest at his dismissal.
Management at Green Isle reached a surprise settlement with the dismissed workers on 5 March. But this good news came with a sour note for Rector, who announced that he could be forced to leave the country following the expiry of his work visa last Monday 8 March.
Speaking to Metro Éireann, Recto told of how he was called to an interview with immigration officials at Naas Garda station, who informed him that his work visa would not be renewed as a result of his sacking from Green Isle.
“They suggested I write a letter to the Minister for Justice and request an extension, and said they would wait for the result,” he said.
“I don’t recall that they mentioned that I would be deported straight away. They just said they were going to wait for the result, and as soon as they got their reply from the minister, I was to go back to them.
“If it’s approved they will grant me a work visa. If not, probably it’s time for us to go.”
Recto told Metro Éireann that he did not know what would happen to him and his family after the expiration of his visa.
“The immigration officer just told us to have our passports with us at all times, wherever we go. All they said is that they were going to wait for the response from the Justice Minister. That’s all I heard. He never mentioned if they were going to pick us up.”
The Filipino worker and his family have received support from union leaders David Begg of Ictu and Eamon Devoy of the TEEU, who sent a joint letter to the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) to ask that Recto’s permit be extended.
TEEU spokesperson Padraig Yeates told Metro Éireann: “My own feeling is that I think they will allow him to stay. But while we don’t want to gear up for a campaign too soon, and then find his application’s been accepted, we do want to let people know that there will be a bit of a hue and cry about this if they really do try to deport him.”
Meanwhile the Recto family’s neighbours have rallied round with offers of help and character references for Recto to enclose with his personal letter to Minister Ahern.
