#415 Deporting Children: Do You Feel Sorry for Them?

In this episode, Niall asks: Deporting Children — Do You Feel Sorry for Them?Last week, 35 people were deported from Ireland, including five children. The opposition is now calling for an amnesty on child deportations, urging the government to show empathy. But does sympathy for children override the rules of immigration?Some callers argued that children should never be punished for the decisions of adults. Many of these kids have grown up in Ireland, attend local schools, and know no other home. Deporting them, they say, is cruel and unnecessary — and the government should show compassion.Others felt the law must be applied equally, regardless of age. They pointed out that deportations are carried out when legal avenues are exhausted, and making exceptions undermines the system. If parents knowingly stay illegally, the responsibility lies with them — not the State.As Niall points out, the question isn’t just about legality — it’s about what kind of country we want to be when it comes to vulnerable children caught in adult decisions.