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Stop Canada from Deporting Jose Figueroa and Other Innocent People!

Stop Canada from Deporting Jose Figueroa and Other Innocent People!

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This petition has been created by Robert G. and may not represent the views of the Avaaz community.
Robert G.
started this petition to
Canada's Minister for Public Safety, Canada's Minister for Immigration, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
People like Jose Figueroa, and other immigrants from former conflict zones are being deported from Canada simply because Canada refuses to recognize the life-threatening situations they came from in their home countries. And Canada's ill-conceived legislation is smearing some of them as "terrorists" - ignoring the reality that many were victims of some of the most repressive state terror in recent history.

Certainly Canada fails to recognize the reality of the situation in El Salvador in the 1980's. The Salvadoran Government killed 80,000 people in that decade alone - peasants, students, unionists, priests, teachers - anyone who opposed them could be a target for torture and murder. Thousands joined, or were associated with the FMLN - a broadly based and widely supported opposition group that stood up against the Government of the time. The campaign of the FMLN - which has always been internationally regarded as a legitimate and representative opposition group - forced the Government of El Salvador to the bargaining table and the conflict ended in 1992.
Importantly, The FMLN is now the elected government in EL Salvador with diplomatic ties with Canada. It has thousands of members and supporters in Canada and its members often visit Canada with no problem – several meeting with senior levels of the former Harper Government. Jose Figueroa was always honest with the Canadian Government about his affiliation with the FMLN and his Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds application (H&C) was approved in principle in July 12, 2004. Yet, in 2010, a single Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer, who mistakenly believed the FMLN to be a terrorist group, (and Mr Figueroa a terrorist by extension) declared Jose inadmissible to Canada – turning his life and the lives of his family upside when the deportation order was declared.

Jose Figueroa, like thousands of Salvadorans, came to Canada fleeing persecution. He arrived in 1997, and now has a wife and three Canadian children. In his role as a student leader, he played a non-violent role in the campaign against a Government that would daily torture and kill people in the most despicable ways - either with their own forces or through the use of death squads who visited their victims at night. Jose protected students, advocated for them, and stood up for ideals Canada is also supposed to believe in - human rights, democracy, and the right to be free of fear from state terrorism and repression.

Jose Figueroa has NEVER been found guilty of any terrorist act and Canada acknowledges he was a non-combatant in the war. The FMLN are not on the “list of entities” (ie individuals or groups Canada regards as terrorist in nature). The Canadian Government has so far refused to acknowledge this fact publicly despite an application being made requesting them to do so. They are ignoring their own legislated deadline to respond to this request, which is long past. By declaring Jose Figueroa and others like him as "terrorists", the Canadian Government not only appears to be re-writing history but at the very least is showing appalling judgement.

After over sixteen years in Canada Jose Figueroa is no threat in any way to this country. He contributes to his family and his community every day. Canada is signatory to International conventions that protect the best interests of children – and Mr. Figueroa’s Canadian-born children’s rights would be severely affected if separated from their father, who has been the main source of financial and moral support.

Why is Canada deporting him? Canada needs to change their laws. Please sign our petition and visit www.wearejose.org for more information. We need your support more than ever. Thank you!

"We call on the Minister of Public Safety, the Minister of Immigration and the Prime Minister of Canada to reverse the deportation order on Jose Figueroa and also to respond to his various applications still pending including a) the finalization of Mr. Figueroa’s application for permanent residency from within Canada which was approved in principle in July 12, 2004; b) an application for Ministerial Relief based on section 34.2 of the IRPA which was filed in 2010 and received in Ottawa on January 26, 2011, and c) the application for a certificate from the Minister of Public Safety stating that Mr. Figueroa is NOT a listed entity. (i.e. Canada’s “terrorist list”) We call upon the Canadian Parliament to address the glaring policy contradictions that this case brings to light - in order to ensure that the broad definition of terrorism is not applied in a way that violates the rights and due process of immigrants and refugees, and wrongfully designates as terrorist organizations and individuals who don't fit the definition. We ask the Ministers to ensure that all enforcement officers of the CBSA, CIC, CSIS and all other Canadian authorities recognize the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) as the legitimate democratically elected government of El Salvador."


Posted (Updated )