London family to be deported; application to stay in Canada denied

LondonTopic.ca

The efforts to stop Canada's Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration from deporting a London family has failed.

London-Fanshawe NDP MP Irene Mathyssen confirmed the application from the DoPrado family, who came to London from Brazil in 1999, has been denied and called the government's action "a shameful example of ministerial incompetence," adding Minister Diane Finley should resign immediately.

"On July 3 the DoPrado family will be deported from Canada. This is a family whose father lost a work permit through no fault of his own. This is a family whose 14 year old daughter has never attended school anywhere but Canada. This is a family that employs four full-time and 30 seasonal workers. This is exactly the kind of family we need and want in Canada," Mathyssen said.

Mathyssen, who along with London's Liberal MP Glen Pearson and Liberal MPP Khalil Ramal, had joined the community's effort to prevent the July 3 deportation, said and Finley had the opportunity to help but chose instead to do nothing to intervene on this case.

"She refuses to use her ministerial authority in a good and just cause. If the Minister does not want to do her job, she should resign immediately." Mathyssen said.

In addition to the support of the three London politicians, the DoPrado family also received letters of support from four London City Councillors, Conservative MP Gary Goodyear (Cambridge), and several business owners and employees. Supporters also set-up a website which generated more than 200 pleas from ordinary Canadians to let the DoPrado family stay.

In a letter received June 10, Finley wrote "the applicant must prove that it (the deportation) would cause unusual, excessive, or undeserved hardship, the result of circumstances beyond the applicant's control..."

In 2002 the lives of the DoPrado family began to unravel. After months of Isabel being subjected to unwanted sexual behaviour from a priest with the church which employed Jose, a complaint from the family led to the church canceling his work permit and start of the deportation process by federal officials.

Since that time, the DoPrado family has been jumping through hoops trying to attain permanent residence status, but come July 3, the family is set to be sent back to their native Brazil.

"Apparently the Minister is incapable of even understanding her own criteria" Mathyssen said. "If losing a work permit because your wife is the victim of inappropriate sexual advances isn't circumstances beyond your control, or if sending a 14 year old to a country she doesn't remember isn't undeserved hardship, I don't know what is."

She said that she recognizes that regulations must be followed, but there are times when the intent and spirit of legislation must outweigh bureaucratic procedures.

"Ministerial authority gives Minister Finley the power to allow the DoPrado family to stay in Canada and she should use it" concluded Mathyssen.