Judge: Roma raising kids to steal

A judge today accused the Roma community of raising their children to steal saying they were responsible for “our shops being robbed blind".

At the Dublin Children’s Court, Judge Aingeal Ní Chonduin was dealing with the case of a now 16-year-old Roma mother-of-one, who admitted theft of several pairs of shoes and handling stolen clothes.

“That seems to be the culture, the family owns her that is the way the families function, unfortunately, to go about to steal,” she said regarding the girl’s circumstances.

Judge Ní Chonduin also said it seemed that the children were “raised” to steal. “It is a different culture, it does not go with our ways and our shops are being robbed blind, I feel sorry for these children.”

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/judge-roma-raising-kids-to-steal-432017.html#ixzz0VGGe3DRZ

Brazilian in court over fatal stabbing

A MAN appeared in court yesterday charged with murdering Brazilian mother of three Joselita da Silva.

Marcio Goncalves da Silva, (30) of Tara Street, Tullamore, Co Offaly, was charged at 12.39am yesterday with the murder of the 33-year-old.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/man-in-court-over-fatal-stabbing-of-brazilian-woman-1924834.html

€91.5m spent on asylum accommodation

THE total cost of providing accommodation for asylum seekers in the State in 2008 was € 91.5 million.

East Meath TD Thomas Byrne was given the figures in the Dáil after he was asked to raise this issue by a number of constituents.

The FF deputy says he does think the overall total is a lot of money, but a new bill will streamline the process and bring down the costs.

http://www.drogheda-independent.ie/news/euro-915m-spent-on-accommodation-1913100.html

Asylum seekers posed as Somalis

IMMIGRATION authorities have uncovered a scam involving African asylum seekers, who claim to be from Somalia.

Three out of five were found to have lied about their background.

The applicants are posing as Somalis to boost their chances of being granted refugee status because they are less likely to be deported back to the war-torn country.

But a check on the background of a targeted group over the past six months has established that the majority of them were from neighbouring countries. The check was carried out using the Eurodac fingerprint system and visa databases established in the UK.

The nationality breakdown of the 'Somali' asylum seekers showed that 44 -- or two-fifths of the original batch -- were from Tanzania, eight from Somalia, six from Kenya, three from Yemen, and one each from Ethiopia and Djibouti.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/asylum-seekers-posed-as-somalis-1910835.html

EU cash will help State fund more deportations

THE EU is giving cash to the Government to help pay for flights home for migrants who lose their jobs.

Ireland had applied to the EU for monies to help non-EU immigrants who cannot afford to live here or who have failed in their asylum applications. The EU has agreed, and will provide around €600,000 per annum from 2008 to 2013, under its Return Fund.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/eu-cash-will-help-state-fund-more-deportations-1910834.html

Child benefit changes urged for foreign nationals

Child benefit payments to foreign nationals whose children live outside the State should be reduced significantly, according to a report on social welfare fraud by an Oireachtas committee.

About 7,000 EU nationals resident in Ireland are claiming child benefit for 11,000 children living outside the State. This is projected to cost the exchequer about €20 million this year.

The report says it is “not appropriate” to pay the Irish rate of child benefit for children in other countries where the cost of living is significantly lower.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1022/1224257226342.html

Colombian drug mule jailed for six years

A Colombian hairdresser who swallowed €58,000 worth of cocaine to smuggle it into Ireland has been jailed for six years at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Fidel Guiaso (aged 36) said he smuggled the drugs to pay for his grandfather’s medical bills.

Judge Katherine Delahunt told him he was "an essential cog in a very evil trade."

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/colombian-drug-mule-jailed-for-six-years-430966.html

Perpetrator of sex assault 'no longer welcome in this country'

A Chinese man who sexually assaulted a woman and mugged and beat a young girl is “no longer welcome in this country”, according to Judge Patrick McCartan.

“The Irish community are well shot of this man,” he said of Sun Yu (24). “Rather than put him in jail at the taxpayers’ expense, he should be sent back to his own country.”

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1017/1224256900230.html

INLA 'has ended armed struggle'

THE INLA has ended its armed struggle, according to a statement issued on its behalf yesterday.

The announcement was made in Bray, Co Wicklow, by Martin McMonagle, from Derry, a member of the executive of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement (IRSP). He said he knew nothing of any plans the INLA might have to decommission weapons.

One senior source said there was a British government expectation that the INLA would begin the decommissioning process in the coming months.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1012/1224256436391.html

Nigerian drug courier jailed for six years

Nigerian national who was paid €4,000 to carry €65,000 worth of cocaine capsules internally has been jailed for six years for transporting the drugs into Ireland.

Chika Chima Oluga (aged 24), with an address at North West Street, Wichita, Kansas, was contacted by a fellow national while he was working and living in America. He was advised that a man called “Sunny” would pay him to bring the drugs into Ireland and cover his expenses.

Oluga then flew to Senegal where he swallowed the capsules before he flew to Paris and then onto to Dublin.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/nigerian-drug-courier-jailed-for-six-years-429472.html#ixzz0TNyzvOiK

Most minors missing from care in Dublin are Chinese

SOME 80 per cent of minors who are reported missing from State care in Dublin are Chinese teenagers who had sought asylum.

According to the Garda missing persons bureau, 28 Chinese minors have been publicised as missing from the care of the Health Service Executive (HSE) over the past 12 months. Seven other minors were reported missing in the same period: four Africans – from Gambia, Somalia, Togo and Nigeria – an Iraqi, a Bosnian teenager and an Irish child.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1005/1224255887682.html