The deported husband of a Ballinasloe woman is to be allowed to return home to Ireland from Brazil.
Harriett Bruce, from Ballinasloe, and Kleber Medeiros, a Brazilian native, have been separated since July this year when Mr Medeiros was deported, just six months after the couple’s wedding.
A member of the public had contacted the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service to claim the couple were planning a marriage of convenience; however the HSE subsequently admitted that there was no evidence to support this objection.
Mr Medeiros had been living in Ireland since 2011, studying and working in County Galway. In March 2012, his English college closed down and he lost his student visa, though he continued to work and had been in contact with the Garda National Immigration Bureau [GNIB] in an attempt to work out his visa.
In July Mr Medeiros received a letter from the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service telling him to present himself to make arrangements for his removal from the State.
The couple were devastated, but co-operated and were optimistic that the situation would be resolved. However Mr Medeiros was deported to Brazil, and Ms Bruce, who runs a beauty business in Ballinasloe, had to leave Ireland temporarily to be with her husband.
The couple received the good news this week in an email from the Department of Justice to say the deportation order would be rescinded and Kleber would be permitted to return to Ireland, and to work here.
Ms Bruce had been campaigning through social media and lobbying TDs and Senators, including Galway-Roscommon TD Eugene Murphy.
She spoke of her excitement this week that “justice had been served”.
“Excited is an understatement; we’ve no words to describe how happy we both are. This has been a very challenging few months but I gave it my all and eventually we got the justice we both deserve... It’ll be a happy Christmas.”
Deputy Murphy said he was delighted to hear the terrific news: “I have worked hard on this unjust case of deportation over the past number of months and have raised it in the Dáil chamber on a number of occasions and directly with the Minister so it is great to get a positive result and see this lovely couple reunited in time for Christmas.”
