Speaking to the Sunday Tribune, Olivia Agbonlahor appealed to the minister for justice and Tanaiste Michael McDowell to revoke their deportation order. "I am pleading with the minister to allow us stay.

There are no facilities for autistic children in Nigeria. He could not be educated. They would beat him to death. He would be a complete outcast. At best, he would have no future but I would fear for his life."

High Court judge Kevin Feeney ruled on Thursday that the refusal of McDowell last year to revoke the deportation orders for the Agbonlahor family had not violated their rights.

After reviewing the case last year, McDowell said he was satisfied Agbonlahor's son Great (6) was not autistic and he made a deportation order.

However, Great has since been diagnosed as autistic and the family's solicitor yesterday appealed to McDowell to reconsider his decision in light of that diagnosis. "If he does not then we will consider appealing this judgement to the Supreme Court, " according to solicitor Kevin Brophy. "At the moment, unless it's life or death you can be deported. But under the European Convention of Human Rights, danger of ill-treatment and the health and welfare of a family is taken into account."

The twins were born in Italy and they arrived in Ireland with their mother in March 2003. Laws stipulate that asylum seekers must remain in the country they initially seek asylum.

"They have never even been to Nigeria . . . it would not be right to send them there. It is not their home. We have all made our home here, " Agbonlahor said.

Olive O'Sullivan, of the Great Justice Action Campaign, said the family has integrated well into the community in Kinsale, Co Cork, and many of their friends would be fearful for the family's safety in Nigeria.

"He's a very vulnerable boy in a firstworld country . . . what would his life be like in a third-world country? It's a death sentence for sure. In court, it was said that it would not be a lifeand-death situation but I'm worried that it would be exactly that for Great.

We should not forget that as he was born in Italy: he is a European citizen."

O'Sullivan continued that the family had integrated extremely well into the community and over 6,000 signatures had been collected in support of their campaign to remain here on humanitarian grounds. "As she is an asylum seeker and not allowed to work, Olivia has got involved with as many educational programmes as she can. She's completed computer and business studies courses. She would not be a drain on our economy;she wants to contribute to our society."

The campaign to grant the family refugee status has garnered political support. MEP Kathy Sinnott has written to McDowell appealing for him to reconsider, as has Green Party TD Dan Boyle. Local politicians in Cork have also made representations.