An Indian woman who moved to Ireland for higher studies in 2022 is now reading her own deportation notice during stand-up comedy performances in Dublin. Jaishree Malik, 25, from Gurugram, had completed her studies at Trinity College Dublin and was working at the university when problems with her immigration permission disrupted her career. After months of waiting for an extension and losing her job, she received a government letter proposing her deportation. She now plans to return to India voluntarily on November 14.Jaishree’s deportation letter arrived on October 5, following a lengthy dispute over her right to remain and work in Ireland. She has since made the document part of her performances at comedy clubs. According to The Guardian, at one show, she opened an envelope and began reading the official notice, leaving some audience members unsure whether they were hearing a joke or witnessing something real.The document stated that the Irish authorities were considering a deportation order under the Immigration Act 1999. Jaishree then asked the audience, “Did you know you were friends with a criminal?” “I’m sorry you had to find out this way,” she added.For Jaishree, the performances have become a way to discuss an experience that has affected her employment, finances and plans for the future. She has received job offers during her attempts to resolve her immigration status but has been unable to take them up. Although she is facing a proposed deportation order, she has decided to leave Ireland herself rather than wait for further action.
How a visa extension affected her career
Jaishree came to Ireland to pursue a Master of Philosophy in literature at Trinity College Dublin. She also worked at the university while studying, helping students with international exchange and study-abroad programmes.After completing her degree, she received permission to remain in the country for two years under the Third Level Graduate Scheme. The arrangement allows eligible international graduates time to find employment and pursue the permission required to continue working.Jaishree remained employed at Trinity and later moved into a role organising events at its law school. However, she needed an extension of her immigration permission to continue working and pursue a longer-term work permit.According to a May report by the Dublin Inquirer, she applied for additional time approximately two months before her Irish Residence Permit expired. By the time the publication interviewed her, she had been waiting around eight months for a decision.The delay meant she could not continue working. She lost her job in February 2026 after being informed that she did not have permission to work while the application was being processed.She had also found an employer willing to support a work permit application. But obtaining that permit depended on having valid immigration documentation.The Guardian later reported that Jaishree received an offer from a government department that she could not accept because her immigration position remained unresolved. “It’s so absurd. I’m being offered a job by the government that I can’t take because of the government,” she said.
Immigration troubles became comedy material
Losing her job did not mean Jaishree could stop paying her expenses. She continued living in Dublin using her savings while managing rent and repayments on a student loan taken in India.As the months passed without a resolution, she began spending more time at open mic comedy events. She had previously tried comedy at Trinity College, but had little experience performing at venues around Dublin.Initially, she found it difficult to deliver jokes confidently. She read material from her phone and struggled to judge when to pause. Encouragement from other comedians helped her continue.Her immigration problems gradually became the subject of her performances. In May, the Dublin Inquirer reported that she was already joking about the long wait for a decision on her application.By October, the material had changed again. The government letter gave her something she could physically bring on stage, allowing audiences to hear the language used in the official notice.Some people assumed the routine was fictional. Jaishree said they were surprised when she explained that the events she described had actually happened.
Immigration delays have become a concern
Other international graduates in Ireland have also reported difficulties obtaining permission to continue working in the country. In May, the Dublin Inquirer reported that Ireland’s Department of Justice had approximately 2,700 applications involving extensions of student immigration conditions awaiting processing.The department said the time taken to process applications could depend on several factors, including the number of requests, their complexity and whether additional information was needed.It also explained that the relevant extension process was intended for unforeseen or unusual circumstances, rather than simply providing graduates with additional time to secure a work permit.Immigration solicitor Imran Khurshid told the Dublin Inquirer that such extensions had previously been granted more readily in some cases, but applicants were now experiencing longer waits.
But Jaishree has decided to leave
After receiving the October 5 notice, Jaishree decided to return to India voluntarily. She is not being forcibly deported, and her departure is scheduled for November 14. Until then, she plans to continue performing comedy in Dublin.Despite her frustration with the immigration process, Jaishree said her experience of living in Ireland has also included strong friendships and support from audiences.“I’m talking about visas, yes, but under this I am still a person. I’ve made a lot of Irish friends who are basically family, and they’re all outraged on my behalf.”Jaishree has also spoken about the prospect of adjusting to life in India after several years abroad. “I don’t think it’ll hit me until I’m on the plane,” she told The Guardian.