Hamilton family fears deportation after spike in recent federal data

One Hamilton family looking to make Canada their permanent home is demanding the federal government secure a passage for undocumented migrants facing deportation in the wake of new data that shows deportations have nearly doubled since last year.

Advocates say that figures from a freedom of information request show that thus far this year, 39 people have been deported every day.

The Abuznaid family says they’re afraid that they could be next.

Nineteen-year-old Tareq Abuznaid says his family is facing an anticipated deportation that could come at any day as they seek permanent immigration status. It is a move that would send him back towards a warzone.

“Me and my family are at risk of being separated. They want to send me to the West Bank and Palestine. They want to send them back to Chilie because they have Chiliean citizenship, they have status over there.” says Tareq.

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“However the deportation got stopped because I don’t have the travel documents since I never owned citizenship in Chilie since the law at the time was that you had to be 18 and whatnot. I never got it and Canada doesn’t recognize Palestine as a country.”

Born in the Palestinian territory, Abuznaid and his family left when he was six-months-old. They then came to Canada in 2015 in search of a better life.

He says that back in August, his family was told that they had two weeks before they would face deportation.

According to the family and advocacy group, Migrant Rights Network, they applied for refugee status but were turned down.

They are now awaiting a judicial review on a pre-removal risk protection application.

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“This is not a straight pathway. It is very complex, very lengthy and extremely difficult to actually successfully get permanent residency at the end of that pathway.” said immigration lawyer Swati Sehker.

Now, the Migrant Rights Network is calling on Ottawa to streamline applications for undocumented residents as soon as possible after seeing a spike in deportations this past year through an access to information request.

“It’s so disgusting and shameful that after all we’ve been through and after all we’ve given, Canada is willing to throw me and my family out into a death sentence. I demand #StatusForAll”
– Tareq facing deportation to Palestine.
Take action: https://t.co/AjRQgMaOcm pic.twitter.com/xNjXcoDprx

— Migrant Rights Network #StatusForAll (@MigrantRightsCA) December 7, 2023

“39 people are being deported every day in the first half of 2023. That compares to 21 people per day in 2021.” said Mary Gellaty of Parkdale Community Legal Services.

“If this rate continues by the end of this year we’re looking at 22,000 people who will have been deported since this Prime Minister promised a regularization program.

WATCH MORE: Calls grow for Canada to help extended family members out of Gaza

The group says it’s unclear how many undocumented people are living in Canada, but estimates have placed the figure around 500 thousand.

They say that a simplified national program could provide a better account for data.

As for Tareq, he says he was just accepted into university while his working-class parents continue to support the family.

“Know what’s going on with a bunch of the immigrants they meet day to day because they might be going through the same exact thing even though they spent, you know, years of their lives here.”