Sabir Mohammed Sheikh and Seema Sheikh, originally from Karachi, Pakistan, were accepted as refugees in Canada in 2001. The Sheikh family of four children, has arduously worked to rebuild a vibrant life in their Parc-Extension neighbourhood since. Now, Canadian immigration authorities have abruptly ended their new life in Canada. They were deported to the United States on Tuesday July 14, facing an uncertain future and possible deportation to Pakistan.
Sabir and Seema Sheikh, and their four children – Ashrah Sheikh (26years), Tayyaba Sheikh (23 years), Sami Sheikh (21 years) and Canadian-born Sabrina Sheikh (5 years) – face life-threatening danger in Pakistan if they are forced to return.
Immigration authorities revoked the Sheikh family’s refugee status in a sudden and unexpected decision in 2007. Immigration Canada does not dispute the real danger the family faces in their home country. Instead, immigration authorities insist on revoking the family’s refugee status and uprooting the parents due to a technicality.
On Thursday, July 9th, the family’s last legal recourse to halt their deportation was heard at the Federal Court. In an inhumane decision, the judge willingly tears the family apart by upholding the deportation order for the parents, while granting an immediate stay for the children. The
stay of deportation for the older children will be respected until they can have a judicial review of their refugee claim to regularize their status.
Friday morning, July 10th, three officers of the Canadian Border Service Agency (CBSA), armed and dressed in bulletproof vests, entered the Sheikh family’s rc-Extension apartment unexpectedly. The family was in the midst of preparing bags, and discussing immediate plans.
The deportation of Mohammed and Seema Sheikh is devastating to the family’s future and potential aspirations of their children. In clear violation of the constitution, Sabrina, the five year-old Canadian born daughter, is denied her rights to live with her parents and is condemned
to be a second-class citizen. Ashrah, the eldest daughter, currently studying political science at Concordia and working at Walmart, is forced, along with her younger brother, Sami, a student at Vanier College, to pick up the pieces of a disastrous deportation order and a destroyed life.
Sabir Mohammed Sheikh was a well-respected community figure in Parc-Extension, a volunteer community liaison with the local CLSC, and the manager of Marche BK, a popular grocery store on Jean-Talon Street. The uprooting of Sabir and Seema not only affects the family, it delivers a devastating blow to the entire community in Parc-Extension.
An injury to one, is an injury to all.
*For More Info: 514.295.5095
JOIN US! SUPPORT THE SHEIKH FAMILY NOW!
Contact Immigration Minister Jason Kenny and ask him to
to reunite the Shiekh family. www.jasonkenney.com
*** For media coverage, visit the following links ***
1. The Hour: Parc Ex rallies against the deportation of influential family
2. The Gazette: Deportation splits Montreal family
3. The National Post: Parents are deported, but children stay
4. CTV : Pakistani family denied refugee status
5. Canadian Press : Court upholds deportation order splitting Pakistani family in Montreal
6. Radio-Canada: Une famille séparée
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July 19th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
I just spoke to Sami (I am one of the 3 persons who fought for the Sheikh family in the last 10 days), and I’m wondering right now if he could receive our support to become a spokesperson for the lesser known desi community of Quebec,
Quebec want to know about him — how can we help?
Perig, Sami and Sabir’s friend.
July 27th, 2009 at 5:09 am
I also wan to know about them and how to help them. I think they need some help. We need to support them.
August 3rd, 2009 at 7:18 pm
They deport me too, even i have two Canadian born citizen daughters and i invest 250,000 U.S dollars in Canada and hire local canadian people, first of all they refuse to recognize my both daughters as a canadian citizen, i used to belive that canadian laws protect their citizens but they put my daughters in harm ful sitiuation and they didnt let me wind up my business and i endup loosing every single penny what i had from my thick blood earning, only thing i can say to canadian law makers SHAME ON YOU