[imc-ontario] FW: Immigration Threatens to Deport Mom to Nigeria and Force 2 Year Old into Foster Care

[Graeme Bacque]

-----Original Message-----
From: ocap at tao.ca [mailto:ocap at tao.ca]
Sent: Monday, December 09, 2002 10:09 AM
To: ocap at lists.tao.ca
Subject: Immigration Threatens to Deport Mom to Nigeria and Force 2 Year
Old into Foster Care



---please circulate widely---

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  December 8, 2002

Immigration Canada Threatens to Ignore Court Order:  Deport Mom to Nigeria
and force 2 year old into foster care

Dorothy Igharo, a failed Refugee claimant who fled Nigeria 7 years ago, is
being threatened with deportation, despite an order from the Family Court
giving her full custody of her two year old daughter, Precious, and
forbidding the child from being removed from Ontario as it would be
against her best interests.

In 1995 Dorothy claimed Refugee status on the basis that she had been gang
raped and beaten in retribution for her uncles political activity in
Nigeria.  Although the Immigration and Refugee Board accepted her Doctors
evidence that she had been subjected to severe physical trauma, her claim
was still rejected.

Unable to return to Nigeria, Dorothy has made a life here and is trying to
gain status on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds.  She has been
granted full custody of her 2 year old daughter (who has no other family
in Canada) and an interim order from the Family Court forbidding the child
from being removed from Ontario as this would be against her best
interests depriving her of any possible relationship or support from her
father and forcing her to face hardship including the imminent possibility
of being subjected to female circumcision in Nigeria.  Dorothy is a victim
of female circumcision and is very strongly against the practice.

Despite this, and knowing that Precious father cannot be found,
Deportation Officer J. Atkinson is threatening to deport Dorothy, forcing
her daughter into foster care.  In fact, Immigration Canada has issued an
internal memo to all Deportation Officers telling them that they can
pursue deportation of any non-status parent whose child has a non-removal
order from Canada.  This is another bitter reminder of the Liberal
governments crackdown on Immigrants and Refugees and its utter disregard
for their well-being.

The Liberal government talks about re-unifying Immigrant families while
quietly tearing families apart.  OCAP is putting the Minister of
Immigration on notice: We will do whatever it takes to support Dorothys
struggle to gain full status in Canada. As an anti-poverty organization we
cannot tolerate the exploitation and expulsion of undocumented workers
living in Canada and are united with groups internationally fighting under
the banner that No One is Illegal.

For more information contact:   Sarah Vance (OCAP):  (416) 806-4983
				Sheilagh OConnell (Family Law Office):
							(416) 348-0001

			       **
		   Ontario Coalition Against Poverty
	517 College Street, Suite 234  Toronto, Ontario  M5G 4A2
	     416-925-6939   ocap at tao.ca   www.ocap.ca
			       **



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