He’s been helping the Thunder Bay, Ont., community since 2018 but may soon be deported | 24CA News

Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal says Thunder Bay, Ont., is the place he discovered his freedom, however a removing order issued by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) implies that’s liable to being taken away.

The group advocate faces a listening to in Federal Court someday after Christmas, when his lawyer will put ahead a keep of removing movement within the hope his case is deferred. Otherwise, he has been ordered to go away Canada by Jan. 1. 

The 23-year-old moved to Thunder Bay from Chittagong, Bangladesh, in August 2018 to review laptop science at Lakehead University. The following yr, he switched to the business administration program after discovering his ardour for entrepreneurship, however he isn’t longer at school due to the price of tuition.

I’ve been a socially shy particular person all my life, and again residence, being out within the public was a dangerous factor. Being right here has modified me as an individual.– Abu Hena Mostofa Kamal

Kamal describes his childhood as robust. Being blind in his proper eye, he stated, he is confronted discrimination and was usually focused. He was bullied at college, had no pals, and his potential to work and totally take part in society was restricted as a result of his visible impairment.

But issues have been totally different in Thunder Bay.

After shifting to the town, Kamal rapidly turned concerned in a number of group teams. At college, he was chair of the Lakehead University Lions Club, organized a dinner for worldwide college students, and have become concerned with Migrant Students United. Last yr, he additionally began a small business, a ghost kitchen referred to as The Outsiders, with two different worldwide college students. 

In the bigger group, Kamal began shovelling snow for seniors, which later morphed into Age-Friendly Thunder Bay’s Snow Angels program. He volunteered for Thunder Bay-Superior North MP Patty Hajdu’s re-election marketing campaign and sat on the constituency’s youth council. Kamal additionally helped make the group cleaner with StandUp4CleanUp and co-founded the Thunder Bay Bengali Club.

Kamal had been balancing his activism whereas finding out and working at Tim Hortons. His numerous roles have made him many pals he calls “family members,” and have garnered native and nationwide media consideration.

Giving again allowed Kamal to return out of his shell and helped enhance his psychological well being.

“I have been a socially shy person all my life, and back home, being out in the public was a risky thing,” he stated. “Being here has changed me as a person.”

Hitting onerous occasions

When the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March 2020, Kamal’s father may not help him financially. At the identical time, worldwide scholar charges elevated.

International scholar tuition for Lakehead’s undergraduate business program price $30,439.79 within the 2021-2022 college yr, in line with the college’s worldwide college students internet web page. In comparability, Canadian residents and everlasting residents paid $7,468.87 for a similar program that yr. 

Following the recommendation of a good friend, Kamal began a GoFundMe marketing campaign, which raised about $7,000. With this cash, he transferred to Confederation College‘s business advertising program, the place tuition was less expensive than at Lakehead.

“It felt good that the community came together and supported me,” Kamal stated. “I don’t want to let them down.”

But on the finish of August 2021, Kamal’s examine allow expired, which meant he may not go to highschool in Canada. Then, his utility for an open work allow was refused. 

Since then, he is continued working at totally different eating places on the town, just like the Keg Steakhouse and Bar, and Daytona’s. He nonetheless volunteers, together with at Shelter House Kitchen and the ladies’s shelter Abbey’s Place. 

In May, the CBSA issued Kamal an exclusion order for overstaying his examine allow. Now, he faces a removing order by New Year’s Day.

Kamal utilized for the momentary resident to everlasting resident pathway in June 2021. The program was designed for migrants engaged on the entrance strains of the pandemic. More than 18 months later, he’s nonetheless ready to listen to again on this utility. In the meantime, he submitted a pre-removal danger evaluation utility and a piece utility as an individual underneath an unenforceable removing order. Those purposes are additionally pending.

“This is embarrassing for my family,” he stated. “I am really embarrassed to see myself in this situation.”

Jennifer Dagsvik, director of the town’s Newcomer Legal Clinic, is representing Kamal in court docket. She’s working to have his removing from Canada deferred whereas he awaits a choice from both Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) on whether or not he can keep on a short lived resident allow, or if his momentary resident to everlasting resident pathway utility is processed.

Dagsvik is making her case for Kamal to remain on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. His listening to is anticipated after Christmas however earlier than Jan. 1.

Community help to remain

In the meantime, the group has been advocating on Kamal’s behalf.

An on-line petition, “Stop Abu’s Deportation!”, was launched on Dec. 8 and has greater than 1,300 signatures.

More than a dozen letters have been submitted to his lawyer from group members in help of Kamal staying in Thunder Bay. These embrace notes from the teams he is volunteered at, colleagues, employers and Hajdu’s workplace.

Last Friday, migrants and advocates delivered greater than 60,000 petitions to Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino’s workplace. Many folks held indicators calling for a cease to Kamal’s deportation. The occasion marked the one-year anniversary of when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promised to ship a regularization program for migrants, stated Sarom Rho, an organizer for Migrant Workers Alliance for Change.

In November, Kamal drove 15 hours to Ottawa meet with Immigration Minister Sean Fraser together with 100 different migrants.

In an e mail on Friday, Fraser’s workplace acknowledged the assembly, however stated it couldn’t touch upon particular person circumstances.

“As we advance our work on further programs, we will continue listening to experts as well as undocumented workers themselves,” stated Jeffrey MacDonald, a communications adviser in Fraser’s workplace. 

The federal authorities is working to construct on pilot packages that exist already to assist undocumented staff — that work remains to be within the consulting part, MacDonald stated. 

Kamal’s lawyer stated his state of affairs is sophisticated, however it isn’t unusual amongst immigrants to Canada. 

“We are seeing really long processing times, we’re seeing people have a really hard time communicating with immigration,” stated Dagsvik.

She hopes Kamal’s dedication to his group convinces authorities to let him keep. 

“[Kamal is] just somebody who’s made such an impression in the community and that’s valuable, and I think that’s something that we always want immigration authorities to look at is how people would be affected and how communities would be affected by removal,” she stated.

For Kamal, returning to Bangladesh would imply leaving his group initiatives and schooling unfinished, and saying goodbye to his pals and chosen households.

“I hope the court will let me stay in Thunder Bay with my friends and family instead of forcing me to go back to Bangladesh,” he stated. “I feel welcome here. I feel loved here. I feel like I have a place here. I can be who I am in Thunder Bay.”