A cell in the women’s section of Mountjoy Prison
Chilean woman Estefany Carolina Alquinta Gonzalez (33),
who had been kept in solitary confinement for more than a week in the female section of Mountjoy Prison after immigration officials refused to allow her into the country, has been released.— Courts News Ireland (@courtsnewsIRL) July 14, 2020
This afternoon.
Via RTÉ
…The State did not contest an inquiry into the legality of the detention of Estefany Carolina Alquinta Gonzalez, who came to Ireland earlier this month to start a six month course with a Dublin-based language school to study English.
However, when she arrived at Dublin Airport on 2 July she was detained by immigration officials and was denied entry on the grounds that she represented a real and immediate threat to the fundamental policy interests of the State….which she denied…
Meanwhile…
…Before arriving in Ireland Ms Gonzalez said an official in that department said she would be allowed enter Ireland in order to complete her course, even though her courses were to be delivered online, as long as her travel documents were in order.
…She claimed that she was informed that she could not enter as a tourist as she wanted to come into Ireland as a student…immigration officials denied her permission to enter the state, arrested and detained her….
Anyone?
Justice Minister to review Chilean student’s solitary confinement (RTÉ)
Dublin-based language schools are a bit of a joke in this regard.
I’d rather a Brazilian meself…
She came to Ireland to do a language course, even though the school was shut due to Covid and the course was online. She shouldn’t have been told it was okay to come but her story doesn’t quite add up either.
Doesn’t it? Surely a large part of learning a language is daily interaction and speaking in normal social situations? Even if the course itself is online, you don’t really get fluency unless you have to work out how to say things in ordinary conversation. You can take all the courses you like, but without being in the linguistic environment, you’re going to struggle to say something as simple as “Hello, can you an electrician – the kettle isn’t working, I’ve replaced the fuse in the plug, but the cord’s a bit frayed and it’s sparking, so I think it needs someone skilled to fix it.” Go on, try and say that in the foreign language of your choice.
Not a bad room in the prison. I seen far worse up on daft charging and arm and a leg.
Do the women get better rooms than the men?
Yes! In Mountjoy men get jail cells, women get “rooms” in Dochas. Discrimination is fine once it affects men, that has been the mantra of the Irish state for the last two decades.
Not so fun fact; judges give women custodial sentences far less often than men, so for a woman to get sent to Dochas for any length of time she must be an extremely dangerous/horrible person – this was told to me by a now retired member of the IPS and reiterated by a friend in the Gards. This Chilean wan is a notable outlier.
I’ve taught in prisons. Most of the women I taught were sentenced for things like shoplifting.
The effect of a young mother being jailed is, generally, far different for children than if a young father is jailed.
The minister for nepotism just illegally detained and placed in solitary confinement, violating numerous international treaties a citizen from a friendly country,Pinochet be proud this minister,first they came for the peope from Chile and i said nothing…
how so?
The immigration officer has authority under Irish law to refuse to allow non-nationals into the state (hint – it’s their job).
She was detained. She was kept in solitary confinement – she was safe from the other prisoners who are convicted offenders.
What international treaties were violated?
If she is legally held in prison – should she be mixed with the general population?
sorry lost me-why was she detained again ?
I don’t know.
What international treaties were violated?
…..She was detained…your words…why ?
Oh, and according to the RTE report the solitary confinement was a quarantine for COVID.
-she tested negative upon arrival-volunteered to selt quaratine for 14 days at her prearranged and paid for accommodation,address provided.
No more cans for you today.
We’re blue in the face telling him. Does he listen? Does he F£ck.
I’ve seen worse…a bit confined though.
Looks comfortable. Very IKEA. Could do with some Orla Kiely curtains and a matching bedspread. Better than the Dublin airport hotels though.
Still, she hardly expected the Spanish Inquisition….
Had she had a prearranged place to stay?
…and paid for, which she politely informed the Ministers Praetorian Guard off,they following the Minister For Nepotism orders illegally detained her -(no strip search?)- placed her in solitary confinement against her will,violating numerous treaties,not to mention her basic human rights.
“Ms Gonzalez represented by Rosario Boyle SC, appearing with Aoife McMahon Bl instructed by solicitor Wendy Lyon” – how did this come about?
Good question. Yer man and the Luke Kelly statue didn’t get that even.
because the minister for nepotism just behaved like a third world fascist dictator thats why.
You certainly have a tremendous amount of windmills.
Thanks Minister Helen McEntee,for issuing this unconstitutional detention order,Santagio is an amazing city and Valparaíso wow-,beautiful, country and surf is stunning, people amazing too.
‘
This really is awful by this rookie inexperienced Minister,shaeful stuff,reeks of RUC policing tactics, be better.
This lovely International students dad passed away two months ago.
“Ireland has not been the most welcoming part of my journey to Europe. This time is very weird everywhere. I am just happy to be free but I feel no one deserved something like this.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/chilean-student-happy-to-be-free-after-being-detained-for-nearly-two-weeks-in-mountjoy-1.4304547
I was with a really good friend who was from Santiago and summered in Viña del Mar,moved to NY, was into opera good times,Ireland is better than this I loath nepotism.
Oh by the way she’s in charge of decriminalizing medical cannabis to allow growing by many sick and suffering patients, instead the state buying and approving them slowly from BIgPhrama,not the minister for health he’s just a glorified clerk.