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Deported father in plea to see son
01.04.13
by Linda McGrory
A YOUNG father has described his torment at being
torn from his baby son's life after being deported
from the US as an illegal immigrant.
Paul Ferguson (28) says he is now forced to watch
toddler Dylan grow up "on computer" during their
weekly Skype sessions.
Paul, from Buncrana was expelled from San Francisco,
California, in 2011 when his only child was just six
weeks old.
He has only seen the youngster - now two years and
four months - three times since and for only a week
at a time.
These precious weeks were made possible by the
"kindness" of Dylan's American-born mother who has
made the three trips to Ireland - most recently last
Christmas - to reunite father and son. She also
keeps the 28-year old up-to-date with Dylan’s
progress in daily texts and emails.
"We are not together anymore but I could not wish
for a better mother for my son," said Paul.
"She is giving me a life-line to Dylan and she is
raising him to be independent, smart and strong,”
said Paul.
Paul emigrated for work to Perth, Australia, last
October and says he pines for his son "the light of
(his) life" every day. He made the long trip home to
see Dylan in Buncrana at Christmas. |
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Paul Ferguson with his son, Dylan. |
He says his is just one
of many heartbreaking stories of emigrant families
being "ripped apart" by deportation.
He has launched a Facebook campaign ‘To Reunite a
Father with his Son’ and has been contacted by other
fathers who are suffering in silence. "At this stage
I’m afraid I’m becoming a stranger to Dylan. When he
hears my Irish accent on Skype he says 'hello Daddy'
but it's very difficult.
“After the call, I am so upset it takes me half and
hour to come around. I miss him every single day,"
he added.
"The amount of supportive messages I have been
getting from people all over the world has been
unbelievable."
Paul, who works as an air-conditioning installer in
Perth, says he is being denied his human rights as a
parent. He also says he was devastated by the
American deportation system.
"Everybody who goes through deportation feels so
degraded and dehumanised by the whole ordeal," he
adds.
Paul first visited California on a ninety-day
holiday visa in 2005. He moved there permanently a
year-and-a-half later and met Dylan's mum in 2008.
His dream is to be allowed live and work in San
Franscisco to be near his adored child. |
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Paul Ferguson with his son, Dylan. |
He says he has written letters to Irish and US
politicians including Taoiseach Enda Kenny,
President Barack Obama and former President Bill
Clinton. He believes the Irish Government is not
doing enough to help the estimated 50,000
undocumented citizens in the States.
"In 2011, I went to the US embassy in Dublin and
applied for a visa to go back to see my child as my
democratic human right. I was categorically denied."
He says he came away believing he might only be
granted temporary access to America if his son was
terminally ill. The US Embassy declined to comment.
"We do not comment on individual cases," said a
spokesman. Meanwhile, the Co Donegal man is
determined to continue his campaign.
"This is tearing me apart but I will not give up the
fight. I have to hold out hope and believe there is
some humanity in the world.
"If all else fails, at least my son will know how
much I love him and how hard I tried to get back to
him.” |
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