Refugee advocacy groups are raising concerns about what they describe as a surge in deportations in Quebec that is separating families, including those with young children.
At a news conference Monday, a coalition of advocates, lawyers and politicians said they are aware of at least eight cases in the past month in which families in Quebec were targeted by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers, often resulting in one parent being removed.
They allege the practice is disproportionately affecting Quebec compared with other provinces and are calling on the federal government to intervene.
Advocates described the deportations as unnecessarily harsh, accusing border officials of acting quickly and without regard for the impact on children.
In one case cited, a breastfeeding mother from Guinea was separated from her five-month-old baby with little explanation.
“The person will not be with their daughter when they learn how to walk, when they learn how to eat, when they have their first friends, when they lose their first tooth,” said Anne Cécile Khouri-Raphael, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.
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“The impact (on children) is long lasting — it’s medical, it’s psychological,” she said.
Advocates say more than half of all deportations carried out in Canada last year took place in Quebec, though they say federal officials have not explained why.
Maryse Poisson of the Welcome Collective said her group sent a letter last week to Ottawa requesting an urgent review of CBSA practices in the province.
“This is completely insane. Those families have to go and spend $3,000 to go to Federal Court. This should not happen,” she said.
The groups also point to a shortage of legal support, estimating there are only about 300 refugee and immigration lawyers in Quebec to handle a growing number of cases.
Poisson said separating children from their parents should never be an option. “It has a horrific impact on children who will grow up without their parents,” she said.
The CBSA did not respond to a request for comment by deadline.
Advocates say they are urging the federal government to halt such deportations before more families are torn apart.
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if the writers alessia and amanda did their research,they would know quebec has completely different immigration laws and rules than Canada.if you enter quebec you are Not immigrating/ entering Canada..separating a baby from its mother is the SAME THING AS TRUMPS ICE GESTAPO IS DOING IN THE UNITED STATES..many babies have died or have been murdered.the mothers were forced 2 another country different from where they came from,why is quebec doing a trump ice?
If they were there illegally, committed a crime, or was found to not have refugee/asylum status then it is fair game. I know people who came to Canada through legal processes and are still waiting.
In the 70’s-80’s half the province was married mixed, english/french. When Bill 101 came out it destroyed most family relations and since then the English were pushed out, moved out of Quebec. The Federal Gov’t encouraged the french language laws ever since. So as an english Quebecer, my response to this dispute is ” you’re wasting your time”, as Trudeau has arranged total seperation of all mixed families. It’s the french pushing , and the English is so low on strength the french will never give up. New Brunswick is next to go all french. Useless wast of taxpayer dollars.
Im almost certain Trudeau is actually a brown guy in beige shoe polish.
It was his greatest act.
“Refugees and Asylum Seekers ” my a**.
I go to work everyday, earn an average wage and can barely afford to make ends meet so how the f*ck can someone from a third world country who claims to be oppressed afford a plane ticket across the world to get here ?
There is something still rotten in Ottawa and it’s not just from the lingering stench of Trudeau
More Liberal Government B.S.
They show concern for the children of what are likely illegal immigrants while allowing the monster who tortured 6 year old Meika Jordan day passes after serving 10 years in on a 25 year sentence.
The Parole Board says “it’s desirable for her to be out of the penitentiary to start gradually reintegrating into society.”
What kind of f*credit up mentality lives in the heads of these fools.This is beyond reality
The problem isn’t the deportations, the problem is the liberal voters who cheered Trudeau on when he invited the illegal immigrants and TFWs to flood the country. This along with dozens of other liberal regulations has deviated our country to the point of no return. Now liberal voters have the audacity and ignorance to complain that the critically needed fixes to their previous stupidity isn’t nice? Well dummies, as usual, you caused this. I have zero sympathy for families that would allow themselves to be split up so that one of them can stay in Canada. Get them all out. Now.
If I get arrested for breaking the law do they not seperate you from your kids? Just because your an immigrant and have kids doesn’t make you immune to the law
Send thier families with them. 💡🙄
Five month old?
Came here more or less illegally, without a spouse it seems, and was either pregnant at the time or got herself pregnant while being processed??
More abuse of process to game the system. Right away two people who will go directly onto welfare and full social services never having contributed anything into society and probably never leave it.
Sorry about the situation but this whole thing sounds contrived from the start.
I could care less of what ‘advocates’ for foreign criminals and scumbags think. These ‘advocates’ are traitors in the eyes of Canadians and should face severe prison time. Where are the advocates for the Canadians?
Good! Let them re-unite in India.
This is not really great, there’s only one exemple, which is anecdotal, and clearly selected for supporting a clear angle.
This site suggests that they are relying on “journalistic standards” but the information isn’t neutral nor peer-rewiable by a scientist in good faith.
Quebec deports significantly more than other provinces => what is the benchmark?
The process is precipitated, harsh, and unfair => what are the évidences? The interviewee herself admits that she doesn’t know the reason why.
300 immigration lawyers isn’t enough => Using concrete metrics, what would be the appropriate number? Why?
It’s unfair for illegal immigrants to have to pay $3000 to the court => concretely why should taxpayers pay (clearly advocates advocating for that have a conflict of interest here)?
Advocates says => this is fallacious to build an argument twice on unspecified authority.
Overall, I fail to understand the metrics presented here and which KPIs we should use to mesure performance or the lack thereof.
GOOD !!! STOP THE PANDERING and A S S KISSING ! SEND THEM BACK WHERE THEY BELONG !!! ENOUGH OF THIS SYMPATHY B/ S
Good, keep them all together and send them ALL home! We are fed up. And we are even more fed up with foreign nationals paying advocacy groups here to disturb our communities.