There will be enormous sympathy for the family of Mark Morris (43) after he was abruptly deported from his home in Dundalk, Co Louth, back to his place of birth in South Africa.
Mr Morris, as we reported yesterday, has a partner and six young children who were all born in Ireland, where he has been living since 2007 on what is accepted to be an expired visitor's visa.
It was reasonable that he was required to make regular calls to a Garda station until his status was confirmed, but the way in which he was suddenly detained last Thursday, and then put on a plane to South Africa the following day, before an injunction could be sought, was harsh in the extreme
While he needs to ensure that his documentation is fully updated, pending proper consideration by the authorities, there is an overwhelming humanitarian case for Mr Morris to be allowed to return to his family in Dundalk.
