[mobglob-discuss] [Fwd: Stop Deportation of Community Activist]

[Graeme Bacque]

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Stop Deportation of Community Activist
Date: 	Tue, 25 Nov 2003 19:38:32 -0500 (EST)
From: 	OCAP <ocap at tao.ca>
Reply-To: 	ocap at tao.ca
To: 	ocap at lists.tao.ca


Stop Deportation of Community Activist:
Wendy Maxwell Edwards to be Deported this Monday, December 1st

PHONE/FAX	PHONE/FAX	PHONE/FAX	PHONE/FAX	PHONE/FAX

Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre
On Wednesday November 26th

Born in Costa Rica, Wendy came to Toronto more than 6 years ago, fleeing
death threats from gang members.  The threats cames as a result of Wendy
being coerced by the Costa Rican police to endorse a declaration in which
she incriminated a dangerous gang involved with drug smuggling.  Wendy
escaped to Canada as a migrant sex worker, and engaged in the sex trade as
an exotic dancer. As her employers abused her fiscally and
psychologically, she left the trade in 1999 and subsequently filed for
refugee status - an option she had not known was open to her.  In
November, 2002, the Immigration and Refugee Board refused her refugee
claim, and nearly a year later, a negative decision was given on Wendy's
Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA).

Since her arrival in Toronto, Wendy has been extremely involved in the
local community. She has given workshops to help women to leave the sex
trade industry. She has collaborated with the Latin American Coalition to
end Violence Against Women (LACEV now known as MUJER) to develop a similar
project. She has volunteered at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic,
as an intake worker for the Cultural Interpreters service. At the Ralph
Thornton Community Centre, she volunteered as a network administrator's
assistant.  Wendy is an outreach worker with the Black Coalition for Aids
Prevention (BlackCAP).  She also hosts a community radio show on CKLN
88.1, as a part of a collective of Latin-American women called
Sembradoras. Wendy has co-written a book in collaboration with the McGill
University for the Canadian Aids Society (CAS) and is working on a
translation of a movie from Spanish for the Canadian audience. Wendy
speaks Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and English, has  attended
college in Canada and been gainfully employed as a Bilingual Customer
Service Representative.

Now, Immigration Canada is moving quickly against Wendy.  She has filed,
at tremendous expense, an application to have the negative PRRA decision
reviewed at the Federal Court level.  This application will be decided
upon in the near future.  However, Immigration Canada is set to deport her
before the risk she would face in being removed from Canada has been
properly assessed.  Her deportation date has been rapidly set for this
Monday, October 1st, 2003 by Enforcement Officer Bob Hickson.  This
officer, as well as his supervisor at the Greater Toronto Enforcement
Centre, has the power to issue a stay of deportation - at the very least
until Wendy and her lawyer hear back from the Federal Court.

Wendy has contributed hugely to a wide community in Toronto.  If deported
to Costa Rica, as a woman of Jamaican descent, Wendy fears she will be
afforded no protection by the state police, who also are renowned for
racial discrimination against Costa Ricans of African-American descent.

Wendy's deportation must be stopped.  She has spent thousands of dollars
attempting to navigate the tangled and inhumane bureaucracy of Immigration
Canada.  There is very little time and few options left.  To support Wendy
in her fight against Immigration Canada's relentless deportation machine,
contact the people who are taking steps to rip Wendy from the life and
community she has built in Canada and demand the following:

- that the deportation set for Monday, December 1st be stayed until
Wendy's application to the Federal Court can be decided upon.  It is
called an Application for Leave of Judicial Review and is currently before
the courts.
- that a fair and full assessment of risk which Wendy would face if
deported to Costa Rica must take place.

CALL IN ALL DAY ON WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 26th ...

DeeDee Gilbert
Manager
Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre (GTEC)
Tel: (905) 405-3544
Fax: (905) 405 3533

Bob Hickson
Immigration Enforcement Officer
Greater Toronto Enforcement Center (GTEC)
Tel:(905) 405 3615
Fax:(905) 405 3535
rob.hickson at cic.gc.ca

SAMPLE LETTER BELOW:

Attention: DeeDeeGilbert
Manager
Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre
6900 Airport Road
Mississauga, ON

cc.Bob Hickson, Enforcement Officer

Ms. Gilbert,

I am writing concerning the case of Wendy Maxwell Edwards, to ask that her
imminent deportation, set to take place on Monday, December 1st, be
stayed.

Ms. Edwards and counsel have filed an Application for Leave of Judicial
Review of the negative decision rendered on September 17th, 2003 of her
PreRemoval Risk Assessment.  This application is currently awaiting a
decision by a Federal Court Judge.

Given that Ms. Edwards would be forced to face death threats issued
against her which from which she escaped to Canada 6 years ago, given the
impunity with which the gang members threatening her will surely act,
given the lack of protection available to her from a police force known to
discriminate against Costa Ricans of African-American descent, I urge you
to issue a stay of deportation until an assessment of risk can be fairly
and fully made.

In addition to having a successful career in as a Bilingual Customer
Service Representative,  Wendy volunteers her free time to the service of
our community.  She has been heavily involved in the local community,
giving workshops, as an outreach worker, as a volunteer interpreter, as an
administrative assistant, and as a programmer and host of community radio.

She has also co-written a book in collaboration with McGill University for
the Canadian Aids Society (CAS) and is involved with artists in the
community in the translation of their work from Spanish to English and
vice versa, for the Canadian audience. Wendy is fluent in Spanish, French,
Italian, Portuguese and English and casually volunteers as an interpreter
for people who cannot afford one. Wendy is a talented, hard working Black
woman and active member of our community.

As an Immigration Canada official who has the power to do so, I urge you
to take immediate action and stay the deportation.  I ask that you allow
Wendy Maxwell to remain in Canada until the risk she will face upon return
to her country of origin be fairly and fully assessed.

Sincerely,


Please email a copy of your letter to wendypme at yahoo.com

For further information, visit http://www.geocities.com/wendypme/






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