Pakistani couple to be deported
By Albert Smith | Wed, 07/15/2009 - 23:00
A Montreal-based Pakistani couple is almost certain to be deported to the United States on Tuesday in spite of requests to high-level politicians of Ottawa. However, the four children of the couple would remain in Canada.
Last week, a stay over deportation order of Sabir Mohammed Sheikh and his wife Seema was refused, but their children were allowed to live in Canada. Their 21-year old son Sami said on Monday after attending an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing that he is losing hope on the whole system. An emotional Sami said that Monday would be the last day he will be able to see his parents, after which they will be deported.
Stewart Istvanffy, lawyer of the couple, said that the situation is absolutely inhumane and termed the problem as systemic. He said he believes most Canadians do not have the idea as to how badly immigrants and refugees to the country are being treated at this moment.
The fate of the family will now depend on a pending judicial review of a decision of 2007 which meant to revoke the refugee status of the couple because they lied regarding the duration for which they stayed in Dubai after they left Pakistan. They lived in Dubai for twenty years but lied to officials that they lived there only for three years. After that, the family accepted the mistake and said they did so due to fear and bad instructions from others.
Now they are appealing on humanitarian grounds due to fear of ex-husband of eldest daughter Ashrah in case they went back to Pakistan and also due to fear of political persecution.
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