UPDATE
Political Campaign in Support of
Bilquis & Imran
Disabled woman & her teenaged son
to be deported
Reason(s) given: "Cost" to Canadians
Take Action!
Release Of Bilquis And Imran From Detention!
*** NEW WESBITE ***: http://bilquisfatima.tripod.com/
There has finally been a victory in the case of Bilquis and Imran!
On September 17, 2003 Bilquis and Imran received approval to appeal their PRRA rejection to the Federal Court of Appeal.
The percentage of claimants that are approved for an appeal hearing is under 10% and this major victory has undoubtedly been due to the massive political campaign in support of Bilquis and Imran all around the country.
Thank you to the hundreds of supporters and allies who have previously written to Minister Coderre, attended press conferences and rallies, organized solidarity actions and campaigns in various cities and offered their support to Bilquis and Imran and all the Pakistani refugees.
Their appearing at the Federal Court of Appeal is set for December and until then a stay has been granted and they are being released from detention on Monday September 29, 2003. Their case HAS NOT BEEN WON until they are granted a permanent stay and their deportation order is overturned. Minister Coderre still has the ability to intervene and stop the deportation and our campaign must continue.
This case carries major implications for all the Pakistani refugees, as well as other communities such as the Algerians and Palestinians in Montreal who are self-organizing to resist the policies of CIC and IRB. The deliberate decision not to intervene in this case is easily construed as a reactionary and authoritative decision on the part of CIC and IRB to exert their powers over asylum seekers who are gaining strength as a movement for justice in numbers, morale, and supporters.
To all allies and supporters, PLEASE CONTINUE TO URGENTLY FAX/EMAIL/CALL Coderre immediately. THE STRUGGLE IS NOT YET OVER!!!
Please be polite but firm in letters, and see below for sample letter and backgrounder with important points to stress in your phone call, fax or email. PLEASE ACT TODAY !
Solidarity and struggle, friends and neigbours of Bilquis and Imran, Action Committee, No One is Illegal, and REBELdesis. Contact nooneisillegal@tao.ca or call 514-409-2049.
*** SAMPLE LETTER *** TAKE ACTION !!!
CONTINUED PRESSURE ON MINISTER CODERREPlease be polite but firm in letters, and see below for sample letter with important points to stress in your phone call, fax or email.
* The contact information of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Denis Coderre:
Phone: (613) 957-0312
Fax: (613) 957-2688
Email: Minister@cic.gc.caHis Montreal Constituency Office(s)
Phone: (514) 323-1212
Fax: (514) 323-2875
Email: Coderd1@parl.gc.ca
Sample Letter
September 28, 2003Honourable Minister Coderre:
I would like to draw your particular attention to the case of Mrs. Bilquis Fatima, a Pakistani woman and her 17 year old son Imran Hussain who have recently been released from the Laval Detention Centre in Montreal after being incarcerated for over three months.
Bilquis and Imran have been granted a stay until their Federal Court of Appeal hearing, yet they are still fearful about the outcome of this hearing and the very real possibility of deportation.
Bilquis Fatima is 64 years old. She is in extremely poor health, uses a wheelchair, has had two heart attacks and needs kidney dialysis three times a week. She and her son have been in Montreal for the past two years during which time her refugee claim was in process.
Bilquis fled Pakistan after the murder of her husband. She belongs to a minority community in Pakistan which has been under attack and has well-founded fears that if she goes back to Pakistan, her life and the life of her son will be in danger. In addition, she is in no condition to remain in detention or make the long and life-threatening trip back to Pakistan or the US.
I urge you to please consider the mounting support for Bilquis from various church groups, unions, student groups, womens groups, media outlets, members of political parties, and community organizations. You, Minister Coderre, carry immense discretionary powers to stop this deportation and I urge you to intervene in the case of Bilquis and demonstrate a commitment to values of compassion and dignity. On humanitarian and compassionate grounds you should intervene immediately to allow Bilquis and Imran the right to remain in Canada and be granted regularized status immediately.
Sincerely,
September 16, 2003
Justice for Bilquis
http://bilquisfatima.tripod.com/
* Imran Hussain was recently told by officials in the Laval Detention Center that their deportation date will be moved to a date earlier than scheduled (next week) due to mounting public pressure/ to prevent a bigger PR scandal.*
Thank you to the hundreds of supporters and allies who have previously
written to Minister Coderre in support of Bilquis and Imran and
all the Pakistani refugees. Supporters and the lawyer working on this
case have received a response from Minister Coderre saying he
will not intervene in this case.
Two weeks ago a Bloc Quebecois MP visited the family in detention and subsequently spoke with the Minister, who apparently responded that the family are too much of a burden on the Canadian economy. This Bloc MP, Madeline Dalphond-Guiral, has been pressuring Minister Coderre to intervene in the case and stop the detention and deportation of Bilquis and Imran.
To those in the Montreal area, please contact her to urge her to continue her work in pressuring Minister Coderre and encourage her continued intervention. (Phone 450 686-2562 / Email: mdg@bloclc.qc.ca, dalphm@parl.gc.ca )
Madeline Dalphond-Guiral, Bloc MP, Laval-Centre
Bureau de comté
2281, boul. Le Corbusier
Laval (Québec) H7S 1Z4
Téléphone : (450) 686-2562
Télécopieur : (450) 686-0450
Courriel : mdg@bloclc.qc.ca or
bloclc@vl.videotron.caBureau d'Ottawa
Édifice de la Justice, Bureau 209
Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 0A6
Téléphone : (613) 995-7398
Télécopieur : (613) 996-1195
Courriel : dalphm@parl.gc.ca
In order to increase public pressure on Minister Coderre to intervene in the case of Bilquis and Imran, we urge all supporters to contact Liberal Party MPs, stating your support for Bilquis and Imran, demanding an end to their detention and deportation, and urging them to pressure Minister Coderre from within their party caucus. (Parliament resumes on Septemeber 15th 2003)
In particular to those in the Toronto Area, Liberal Party MP Caroline Parrish from Mississauga has expressed her support for the case of Bilquis and Imran. Please contact her (Phone:613-995-7321 and 905-897-1952) to urge her to continue pressuring Minister Coderre and express your support for her intervention.
Carolyn Parrish, MP Mississauga Centre
Hill Office
House of Commons
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 995-7321
Fax: (613) 992-6708
Email: parric@parl.gc.caConstituency Office(s)
1100 Central Parkway West, Unit 3
Mississauga, ON L5C 4E5
Phone: (905) 897-1952
Fax: (905) 897-6117
Email: not available
The list of all Liberal Party MPs and their contacts can be found at www.liberal.ca/lpc/mp.aspx?site=3Dmp
This case carries major implications for all the Pakistani refugees, as wel= l as other communities such as the Algerians and Palestinians in Montreal who are self-organizing to resist the policies of CIC and IRB. The deliberate decision not to intervene in this case is easily construed as a reactionary and authoritative decision on the part of CIC and IRB to exert their powers over asylum seekers who are gaining strength as a movement for justice in numbers, morale, and supporters.
To all allies and supporters, PLEASE URGENTLY fax/email/ call Minster Coderre AND Party MPs this coming week and please forward this message as far and wide as possible.
Denis Coderre, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Hill Office
House of Commons
Ottawa ON K1A 0A6
Phone: (613) 995-6108
Fax: (613) 995-9755
Email: coderd@parl.gc.caand
Phone: (613) 957-0312
Fax: (613) 957-2688
Email: Minister@cic.gc.caConstituency Office(s)
4975 de Charleroi
Montréal North, Québec H1G 2Z2
Phone: (514) 323-1212
Fax: (514) 323-2875
Email: Coderd1@parl.gc.ca
Please be polite but firm in letters, and see below for sample letter and backgrounder with important points to stress in your phone call, fax or email. Please act today!
Solidarity and struggle, friends and neigbours of Bilquis and Imran, Action Committee. Please consider copying your letters to nooneisillegal@tao.ca
*** SAMPLE LETTER ***
TAKE ACTION !!! CONTINUED PRESSURE ON MINISTER CODERRE & LIBERAL PARTY
Please be polite but firm in letters, and see below for sample letter with important points to stress in your phone call, fax or email.
* René D'Aoust, director of Investigations and Removals: (514) 496-1238
* The list of all Liberal Party Mps and their contacts can be found at www.liberal.ca/lpc/mp.aspx?site=3Dmp
* The contact information
of the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Denis Coderre:
Phone: (613) 957-0312
Fax: (613) 957-2688
Email: Minister@cic.gc.ca
His Montreal Constituency
Office(s)
Phone: (514) 323-1212
Fax: (514) 323-2875
Email: Coderd1@parl.gc.ca
September 15, 2003
Honorable :
I would like to draw your particular attention to the case of Mrs. Bilquis Fatima, a Pakistani woman and her 17 year old son Imran Hussain who are being held in the Laval Detention Centre in Montreal and will be deported back to either Pakistan or the United States in the coming days.
Bilquis Fatima is 64 years old. She is in extremely poor health, uses a wheelchair, has had two heart attacks and needs kidney dialysis three times a week. She and her son have been in Montreal for the past two years during which time her refugee claim was in process.
Bilquis fled Pakistan after the murder of her husband. She belongs to a minority community in Pakistan which has been under attack and has well-founded fears that if she goes back to Pakistan, her life and the life of her son will be in danger. In addition, she is in no condition to remain in detention or make the long and life-threatening trip back to Pakistan or the US.
Bilquis and Imran faced two detention review hearings in the past two months. During both hearings they were refused release from detention as IRB judges were claiming that Bilquis was a flight risk since she is unwilling to be deported back to Pakistan or the US, a catch-22 situation. If deported to Pakistan, she has well-founded fears for her and her son's life. If deported to the US, she will surely be put into detention without concern for her medical condition.
At her hearing, claims were also made that since too much money, time, and manpower had gone into processing this case, the decision would not be reversed. I find it deplorable that a family, in particular an elderly womans', right to dignity and a livelihood is being overshadowed by concerns for bureaucratic efficiency.
I urge you to please consider the mounting support for Bilquis from various church groups, unions, student groups, womens groups, media outlets, members of political parties, and community organizations. I urge you to intervene in the case of Bilquis and demonstrate a commitment to values of compassion and dignity. Bilquis' medical condition is worsening and the worst can be expected if this removal is carried through. On these grounds, Minister Coderre should intervene to postpone the deportation date, and immediately stay the deportation order.
Sincerely,
Return to DAWN Ontario index page
Page last updated September 29, 2003