Paradoxes of diaspora, global identity and human rights: the deportation of Nigerians in Ireland

Abstract

This article examines the contemporary reversal and rupture of the Nigerian diasporic flow to Ireland through the circumstances of deportation; emphasizing the utility of deportations in the discursive context of national identity, global standing, human rights and racism. Through an examination of the unique relationship between the Nigerian and Irish diasporas, it is argued that the state-level discourse and public policy regarding the deportation of Nigerian migrants in Ireland highlight the presence of ‘parallel’ and ‘catalytic’ diasporas that form what can be considered paradoxes of diaspora. The article also maintains that deportations: 1) facilitate the proliferation of national racisms and human rights violations through the legitimating mechanisms of international law; 2) expose the attempt at insuring a national Irish identity that is racialized as White; 3) bring into sharp relief the simultaneous determination of Nigeria to secure a reputation as democratic and Ireland to preserve its standing as a philanthropic and benevolent nation in the global arena and; 4) highlight the post-national significance of diasporic belonging in a contemporary global context.