The Honourable Ralph Goodale, P.C.
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
269 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0P8
The Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen, P.C.
Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1
January 11, 2018
Re: Abdoul Abdi – State Responsibility to Stop Deportation and Grant Citizenship
Dear Ministers,
We are writing on behalf of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association with respect to Mr. Abdoul Abdi. As you are likely aware, Mr. Abdi is a young man who was brought to Canada at the age of 6, as a refugee from Somalia. Shortly after arriving in this country, Abdoul became a ward of the state. Unfortunately, according to reports, his experience in care deprived him of a stable home environment and appropriate supports, of his culture and language, and most concerning at this time, of the acquisition of Canadian citizenship that would otherwise have been his. Indeed, reports have it that not only did the state not meet its obligations to Abdoul by failing to apply for citizenship on his behalf, it actually prevented his aunts from making an application for him due to his being a ward of the state.
Mr. Abdi has been wronged by the government in that it neglected to take the necessary steps to ensure that his citizenship was secured. It is long past time that this situation be rectified, and that Mr. Abdi’s citizenship be granted.
In the interim, and in light of the above, the government cannot in good faith pursue Abdoul’s deportation, and indeed should be estopped from doing so.
You are urgently requested to end any admissibility or deportation proceedings against Abdoul, and to order the granting of his citizenship forthwith. Abdoul has endured sufficient loss and strain as a result of state action and neglect. It is unthinkable that he now have to contemplate removal to a country with which he is wholly unfamiliar, where he may face mortal danger.
We would be most grateful for your urgent reply, and would be happy to discuss any of this further.
Sincerely,
Michael Bryant
Executive Director
Noa Mendelsohn Aviv
Director, Equality Program
About the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
The CCLA is an independent, non-profit organization with supporters from across the country. Founded in 1964, the CCLA is a national human rights organization committed to defending the rights, dignity, safety, and freedoms of all people in Canada.
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