[van-discuss] ACT NOW TO STOP A DEPORTATION (montreal)

[ha rsha]

PLEASE POST WIDELY---

STOP THE DEPORTATIONS !!!
JUSTICE FOR IBAD FAMILY!!!

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RALLY:
1010 ST ANTOINE (IRB offices-Montreal)
Tuesday October 21, 2003
@ 7:30 am sharp (their deportation is 8 AM)


MASSIVE CALL CAMPAIGN
FLOOD THE OFFICE WITH CALLS FRIDAY AND MONDAY
*** René D'Aoust director of Investigations and Removals: (514) 496-1238 ***

Points to emphasize in your call:
-The demands of the campaign (below)
-The recent violence and curfew in Islamabad
-Their children’s education has previously been interrupted while they were 
in hiding, and their deportation will surely impact their education again
-Great danger Naveed faces of being detained in the US.
-The family’s contribution to Canadian society over the past fifteen months.
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BACKGROUNDER:
The Ibad family is facing deportation on Oct 21, 2003. This decision was 
handed down to them by the Immigration and Refugee Board last month and the 
family is currently preparing for their removal to the United States.

Naveed, Assia and their three children have been in Canada for over fifteen 
months, during which time their refugee claim has been refused. All three of 
their children, ages 14, 12 and 9, are in school and speak four languages 
fluently (Urdu, English, French, Punjabi). Naveed is currently working two 
jobs and Assia volunteers in an organization supporting disabled people and 
works night shifts.

They arrived at the LaColle border last year through the United States, 
where they spent a few month after the September 11 attacks. Due to the 
backlash of racial profiling and criminalization of refugee communities, 
they decided to file for a claim in Canada. One of the allegations made by 
the IRB is that they should have made a claim in the United States instead 
of Canada, even though they are under no legal obligation to do so. This is 
a clear de facto implementation of the Third Safe Country Agreement, which 
places refugee communities in a vicarious position: forcing them to claim 
asylum in a country which has incarcerated, criminalized, or deported entire 
communities, and continues to do so. Upon deportation to the US, Naveed will 
surely be put into detention. There will be no agency there to greet them 
and the family would not be eligible to work for at least several months, 
pending deportation to Pakistan.

Another one of the allegations of the IRB is that they are not convinced 
that the family faces imminent and grave danger in Pakistan. The Ibad family 
are members of a religious minority in Pakistan. Naveed owned a business in 
Islamabad and Assia founded and volunteered at a free school for girls from 
low-income families. The family has been physically attacked by SSP (a 
sectarian and extremist organization) on several occasions in the past few 
years and Naveed still carries scars on his body from these attacks. Members 
of their families have died due to these attacks, and the family was forced 
into hiding for over 2 years, during which time their children were unable 
to attend school or even play with other children. The family face grave 
danger and persecution, including rape, torture, and a certain death if they 
are forced to return to Pakistan.

In particular, the recent wave of sectarian violence in Islamabad has 
claimed dozens of lives and a curfew has been placed on the city, a 
situation that is a near-civil war one at present. In light of the recent 
violence and the increasingly intensified attacks against minorities, it is 
deplorable and unacceptable that any Pakistani refugee would be returned, 
particularly to Islamabad.

Their situation points to one facing hundreds of Pakistani refugees who are 
told they do not face danger in Pakistan. Sectarian violence in Pakistan has 
claimed the lives of hundreds of civilian lives, as documented by Amnesty 
International and Human Rights Watch, and even in the IRB’s own departmental 
reports, and as such the decisions of the IRB judges decisions are 
indicative of systemic racial profiling.

Demands of the campaign are that:
1) At least no removal take place to either Pakistan or the US prior to the 
Humanitarian and Compassionate claim being processed in a fair and just 
manner and particularly in light of the recent violence in Islamabad.
2) Further we demand that she and her son be given full status in Canada on 
humanitarian grounds.

Solidarity and struggle, friends and neigbours of the Ibad family, Action 
Committee, No One is Illegal, and REBELdesis. Contact nooneisillegal at tao.ca 
or call 514-409-2049.

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SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN FOR JUSTICE FOR ALL PAKISTANI REFUGEES:

* Endorse the demands --->

In Montreal, there are over 200 Pakistani refugee claimants facing 
deportation in the coming months as their cases are being rejected in 
unprecedented numbers by the Immigration and Refugee Board. These refusals 
are based on the grounds that the situation in Pakistan from these refugees 
has improved, whereas, the facts are contrary to it. These refugees are 
fleeing a violent political and sectarian crisis in Pakistan, which has been 
well documented by Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. A close 
review of the rejected cases indicates that some IRB judges are not aware of 
their own departments published reports, which clearly agrees with the 
aforementioned human rights reports, and as such the decisions of the IRB 
judges decisions are indicative of systemic racial profiling.

The Action Committee is asking for the public support of organizations and 
groups who support the demands of the campaign. If your organization 
endorses the demands below, please phone 514-409-2049 or e-mail 
nooneisillegal at tao.ca.

1) The Action Committee demands that the deportation of rejected Pakistani 
claimants to either Pakistan or the United States be stopped immediately;
2) All Pakistani refugee claimants be granted full and regularized status in 
Canada

* Current endorsing groups include: Pakistan Association of Quebec, Islamic 
Center Montreal, Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, No One is Illegal 
Montreal, Rebel Desis, Union United Church- Little Burgundy, Action 
Committee for Non Status Algerians, No One is Illegal- Toronto, STATUS 
Coalition Toronto, Fire this Time Movement for Social Justice Vancouver, No 
One is Illegal Vancouver, South Asian Womens Community Center Montreal, 
QPIRG Mcgill, Coalition Against the Deportation of Palestinian Refugees, 
QPIRG Concordia, Dragonroot Center for Gender Advocacy, Solidarity for 
Palestinian Human Rights, Indigenous Peoples Solidarity Movement, Jewish 
Alliance Against the Occupation, Coalition Against War and Racism Toronto, 
Block the Empire Montreal, Direct Action Against Refugee Exploitation (DARE- 
Vancouver)

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