Canadian Somali Congress testifies before the Parliament on deportations

Canadian Somali Congress
Tuesday, December 04, 2012

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Canadian Somali Congress National President, Ahmed Hussen, testified before the Citizenship and Immigration Committee of the Canadian Parliament on the issue of Bill C-43 and deportations. The Canadian Somali Congress wants changes to this proposed law because it contains provisions that will lead to the deportations of hundreds of long-term residents that make one mistake.

These permanent residents could potentially include many who have made positive contributions to their community. It is a one strike and you are out rule. First, this bill would limit the right of permanent residents to make an appeal to the Immigration Appeal Division regarding their deportations if they are sentenced to a period of six months or more for a criminal offence.

The current law allows for an automatic right of appeal for sentences of two years less a day. Second, Bill C-43 would not distinguish between jail sentences and conditional sentences that are served in the community and that tend to take a longer period of time to complete.

Third, Bill C-43 will drastically curb ministerial discretion in humanitarian and compassionate cases. Finally, the hundreds of deportations that will result from the implementation of Bill C-43 will make it harder to distinguish between long term residents that have roots in the community and a foreign national that arrived in Canada a few months ago.

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