Home For Waifs And Strays
"Canadian immigration and child welfare officials are in an unprecedented legal fight over the future of a St. Lucian teenager flown here on a one-way ticket by a family that doesn't want him back. Kasim (not his real name – this choking secrecy pervades government!) is now in the care of the Children's Aid Society of Toronto, which has gone to Federal Court in an attempt to prevent his deportation. The child welfare group does not believe Canada should send Kasim, 16, back to a family that is unfit to care for him. Federal officials, however, say that to keep Kasim here will only encourage people from impoverished countries to send and abandon their children in Canada. What's more, they say, separating Kasim from his family may do more harm than good. In a recent decision, Judge Robert Mainville agreed to put Kasim's deportation on hold while the CAS obtains an official report on his family and explores whether he can be placed elsewhere in St. Lucia. ... He called on federal officials to review their travel policies for unaccompanied minors, given that Kasim was 14 years old when he stepped off a plane alone in Toronto in August 2007. 'Clearly measures need to be taken to avoid similar situations in the future,' Mainville said, adding: 'There is no question of encouraging in any fashion or manner whatsoever the act of sending and abandoning foreign children in Canada.' According to court documents, Kasim was placed on a plane by his mother and aunt with a one-way ticket to Canada. After he landed in Toronto, Kasim went to live with his older brother, who had also arrived illegally. In March 2008, police discovered that both brothers were without immigration status. The older brother, a young adult, was jailed by immigration authorities and later deported to St. Lucia. Because of his age, Kasim was placed in the temporary custody of the Children's Aid Society of Toronto. According to court documents, a child welfare worker then contacted Kasim's mother, who said she wanted him to remain in Canada since education and employment opportunities were so limited in St. Lucia." (Canwest News, December 27, 2009)
And it's just that simple, Mum makes up her mind and Junior is our responsibility. Two more years of squabbling and he can apply to sponsor the entire family!
[This article appears in the January, 2010 issue of the CANADIAN IMMIGRATION HOTLINE. Published monthly, the CANADIAN IMMIGRATION HOTLINE is available by subscription for $30 per year. You can subscribe by sending a cheque or VISA number and expiry date to CANADIAN IMMIGRATION HOTLINE, P.O. Box 332, Rexdale, ON., M9W 5L3.]
