In December 2010 the chartered flight KER 7 67- 31. departed from Dublin Airport bound for Lagos, Nigeria. Onboard were thirty five 'failed' asylum seekers and their dependants, members of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and a medical team. The aircraft experienced technical difficulties during a stopover in Athens and was forced to return to Ireland. Controversy erupted soon after the flight landed. Several asylum seekers alleged that they received made aquate food and were not permitted to use the toilet facilities while waiting in Athens. Local and national newspapers ran the story, offering the public a brief glimpse into a partially occluded world. Commentators on internet blog-sites formed up along the usual battlelines: those advocating for a more humane and rights-based asylum system faced a barrage of criticism from those who demanded that a hard line be maintained.