Photo credit: CNC
A Nigerian family in Windsor, Ont., is pleading with the Canadian government to let them stay in the country for their personal safety and also so their daughter, a 16-year-old cancer survivor, can continue medical treatment.
CBC News reports that Aminat Fayemi is in remission after being diagnosed with leukemia in 2022, but is now being treated for a new issue concerning her blood. She fears it may be a sign that the cancer has returned.
The family was supposed to report for removal on September 8.
While the girl’s doctor has signed off on a letter stating that she should not fly, another doctor who looked at the case on behalf of immigration authorities disagreed.
Aminat first got sick in Nigeria. The family says she was misdiagnosed.
Her cancer diagnosis only came while her family was vacationing in the US. She fell ill and was told she had Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
The move to Canada came following her treatment in a hospital in Austin, Texas, during which she experienced acute heart failure.
Upon arrival in Canada in January of 2023, the family applied for asylum. Their claim was refused, along with subsequent appeals.
Now, the family’s last-ditch effort to remain in the country is before the IRCC, requesting permanent residency on what’s known as humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
However, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), the filing of that application isn’t a reason to delay the family’s removal.
The heads of two Nigerian community groups in Windsor support Aminat, her mother and little brother in their quest to stay in the country. They are pointing to her mother’s work as a PSW and their contributions to the community.
The IRCC says, “A decision to remove someone from Canada is not taken lightly. Every individual facing removal is entitled to due process, but once all avenues to appeal are exhausted, they are removed from Canada in accordance with Canadian law.”
Meanwhile, the family is holding out hope for a resolution, but the threat of an imminent deportation is still hanging over them.
Interesting read!