2048
PRESS RELEASE
TARAWATCH.org
30 November 2009
Investigation into Detention and Deportation of US Human Rights Lawyer Sought
TaraWatch is today filing complaints with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Justice and the Garda Ombudsman, and demanding an investigation into the detention and deportation of a US human rights lawyer, who attempted to entry the country last week.
On Monday 23 November, Matt Schwoebel, Program Director of the 2048 Project at the Berkeley law school in the University of California, flew into Dublin airport from Chicago. However, he was detained by the Garda Immigration Division; on grounds he had “insufficient funds.”
When interviewed, Mr Schwoebel said he was here to stay with Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch, and was going to be touring around the Dublin area for a week. He gave a number of other contacts, including his grandmother, but he was still refused entry. He had one hundred dollars cash, as well as a debit card, and credit cards, along with invoices. However, he was placed in a freezing cold detention cell and then put on a plane back to the US.
TaraWatch had invited Mr Schwoebel and 2048 to assist them with a complaint to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 2048 refers to the centennial of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the group contains many lawyers, judges and former UN officials. The grandson of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, who helped create the UN, is also a member of 2048.
Vincent Salafia of TaraWatch said:
“We invited 2048 to Ireland, in order to assist us with our human rights complaint to the UN.
“Mr Schwoebel was fairly traumatised after the ordeal, but has decided to file a formal complaint with the Irish authorities.
“This is a very grave incident and we are demanding that Mr Schwoebel be allowed to return to Ireland immediately, so that we can complete our UN complaint.
ENDS
Contact: Vincent Salafia 087-132-3365
STATEMENT OF MATT SCHWOEBEL
At 8:35 am on Monday November 23, I arrived in Dublin, Ireland after a long trip from San Francisco on Aer Lingus (via Chicago, with a United Airlines flight 54 for the first leg).
On my visa application under accommodations, I stated that I was “travelling around Dublin and nearby counties”. I also gave the Garda the website of the Sara Tara Campaign so they could contact Vincent Salafia from the organization to validate that I was staying with him. The Garda said this information was insufficient because Vincent and I could “get into an argument” and as a result he may “kick me out on the street”. He asked me whether I had medical or travel insurance (which I had no proof of). He asked, “How much money do you have on you?”, and I told him 100 USD. I added that I had my visa card with several thousand more dollars in my account and offered to take out 1000 Euros before I left the airport. I also showed him 5 invoices totaling around 8,000.00 USD. Three of these invoices were stamped by my employer (the University of California at Berkeley) and dated (11/18/2009). These three invoices from my employer totaled a little over 4,000.00 USD.
Regarding accommodations I asked if I could look up online Vincent’s number since the Garda said he wasn’t able to contact him; however I was not allowed to. I also offered to use my own funds to stay in a hostel in Dublin. I also offered to call my grandmother so I could provide him the contact information for my cousins that live in Dublin; however, although the Garda took down their names, I was not allowed to contact my grandmother. I also gave him the contact information for the O’Higgins Clan, since I am a member.
Regarding length of stay, he asked how long I planned to stay. I told him I needed a three month visa. He asked if I planned to stay in Ireland for the full three months. I told him I did not and that I already had plans to travel to Geneva by December 4 to prepare a student conference on December 10 (Human Rights Day). I even showed him a print out with information about the conference, but he didn’t open the information pamphlet. He explained that a visa to stay in Ireland would not apply in Switzerland. I tried to explain I misunderstood the law since I was under the impression (from a previous 3 month trip to Europe in 2007) that a visa within one EU country would suffice for visiting others. During my previous trip I lived in Holland but travelled to France and Belgium without having to be reprocessed or obtain a new visa. I explained all of this but the Garda said repeatedly that my initial statement was a “deception”.
The Garda was quite hostile from the beginning. Within one or two minutes he said unless I could provide evidence of what I said, “I’m going to deport you.” He then left his office and came out towards me. Again in a hostile voice he said, “Now you need to get this documentation ready. You can sit in that room or the room over there.” Then raising his voice even louder he said “Which room do you want to sit in?!” I told him either room would be fine. I then sat down for about 30 minutes and found all the documentation I could to support what I said. It was at this time I gave him the invoices, my business card, the information I had about Vincent Salafia, and the information pamphlet about the conference in Geneva (All of this documentation was later returned to me, except the piece of paper with Vincent’s information). The Garda never explained why the information I provided was insufficient or what he would need to make it so. He said he still was going to refuse me entry and I then asked to speak with his supervisor.
He took me to a tall man (around 6’3) with white/gray hair standing behind the room where we were staying. I gave the man all of the documentation I had. When he saw the page with Vincent’s information (where it was marked that Vincent works for the Save Tara Campaign) the supervisor said, “Tara? I don’t agree with this Tara business. Listen, (looking at the Garda) make whatever professional decision you’re going to make.” The supervisor did not look over my invoices or the conference information pamphlet I provided.
I was then taken to a room where I was told to wait while they tried to contact the people I mentioned. Vincent told me later they never contacted him. The Secretary General of the O’Higgins clan was contacted; however, he was not in the office at the time. I repeated that I’d like to contact my grandmother, but the Garda said he would only allow me to do so as a last resort. The Garda shut and locked the door. He came back later with a cup of water. He then mentioned that there were no flights back to San Francisco that day and that I would likely have to stay in a detention center that night. I asked him whether I would be staying in a jail with criminals (since detention centers in the US are often rented out cells in local jails), and he said “Well, not that I know of”. Obviously distressed by the possibility, I offered to buy my own ticket back to the United States. He said that was unnecessary and that he would see what he could figure out. He then gave me a form to sign telling me I couldn’t leave the detention center unless I signed it. The form said that I was being denied entry for insufficient funds.
A few other Gardas then brought another man into the room. They told me I’d have to move to another room. I was then put into a room without a bathroom and with a large window. The room was very cold. I was shivering for about 15-30 minutes until the original Garda came back. I asked him if he would take me to the restroom and allow me to put on more clothes. He allowed me to do both. He then took me to an ATM machine; however, the machine didn’t allow me to print an account balance. He told me that was the only ATM in the airport.
I was then put back in the second room. I was completely exhausted so I tried to get some sleep. About 30 minutes to an hour later a different Garda I had not met yet came into the room and told me they found a flight I could leave on that day and that he would be back for me in about 15 minutes. He returned shortly afterwards and escorted me to the airplane. He explained that I was only deemed inadmissible (and not actually deported) and so I could return to Ireland without any problems. I thanked him and I then flew back to San Francisco on EI 125. Since this experience I have come down with a cold. Total, I believe the entire ordeal took between an hour and half and two hours; however, because of jet lag and the experience as a whole, I was rather disoriented and I’m not exactly sure how long I was there.
