‘A chance to live’: PSW wins fight to stay in Canada after facing deportation | 24CA News
She was almost ripped from her three-year-old daughter, however in a sudden reversal, a Toronto private assist employee who confronted deportation regardless of having labored on the entrance traces through the top of the COVID-19 pandemic can now keep in Canada completely.
After going public along with her story, Fatumah Najjuma has received her battle for everlasting residence.
On Friday, she acquired phrase that her everlasting resident utility on humanitarian grounds was granted.
“This means a lot to me because I have been given a chance to live, stay and raise my baby girl,” Najjuma informed CBC Toronto, thanking her lawyer, advocates, her associates and the numerous strangers who supported her.
“As I am her only living parent, she is going to grow up a happy child because her mother is present in all her life.”
Najjuma, 29, had been going through deportation to Uganda — a nation she says she fled for her life after being disowned by her household and for her non secular and social affiliations.
Her deportation date had been set for Jan. 7. But after garnering tens of hundreds of signatures in an internet petition, a marketing campaign by advocacy teams and telling her story to 24CA News, her elimination was delayed in late December.
Now, her battle is over. But she says she stays involved concerning the numerous others who discover themselves additionally going through deportation regardless of Canada’s dedication to work in direction of granting standing to undocumented staff.
“I shouldn’t have to fight for basic rights,” she stated. “Everyone deserves status so we can live a good life. I encourage all migrants to speak up and raise their strong voice.”
‘Over 30 folks being deported on daily basis’: advocate
Syed Hussan, govt director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change shares that concern.
“Thousands of people signed petitions, joined protests and Fatumah bravely spoke up to ensure that her family can now access basic rights that permanent resident status allows but there are over 30 people being deported every day,” he informed CBC Toronto.
“It doesn’t make sense to create exceptional measures for each person; we need systematic changes and that means full and permanent immigration status for every migrant including workers, students, refugees and undocumented people.”
Canada had been urgent ahead with Najjuma’s deportation regardless of Federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser’s mandate, which incorporates working to “further explore ways of regularizing status for undocumented workers who are contributing to Canadian communities.”
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada lately informed CBC Toronto that work stays underway, however that it couldn’t touch upon packages or insurance policies below growth.
That means whereas a change might quickly be coming to ease the trail to everlasting residence for these in Najjuma’s place, she might have however been deported whereas the specifics are ironed out.
Najjuma’s win comes after the tip of deportation nightmare for one more private assist employee, Nike Okafor, and her son, who confronted elimination after 19 years in Canada.
‘The storm is over’
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada informed CBC Toronto tens of hundreds of momentary staff transition to everlasting standing annually. Of the 406,000 overseas nationals who grew to become everlasting residents in 2021, it says almost 169,000 of them transitioned from employee standing.
Asked why it was eradicating somebody who had an utility on humanitarian and compassionate grounds nonetheless below approach, the Canadian Border Services Agency beforehand informed CBC Toronto it can not touch upon particular person circumstances for privateness causes, however that it has a authorized obligation to take away those that are inadmissible to Canada below the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, and who’ve elimination orders in drive.
That’s regardless of a federal court docket decide ruling final 12 months that urged candidates who’ve labored as health-care aids or on the entrance traces through the COVID-19 pandemic deserve particular consideration.
“The moral debt owed to immigrants who worked on the front lines to help protect vulnerable people in Canada during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be overstated,” Justice Shirzad Ahmed wrote.
As for Najjuma, the news that her personal battle is over means she will now envision a steady future for her and her daughter.
“I am going to tell my daughter that the storm is over,” she stated. “We have nothing to worry about anymore, we have our peace and freedom now.”
