Zach LarkinsILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS III (cont'd)
Some time ago, I wrote a couple of articles on illegal immigrants. I took the stance that illegal is illegal, and those caught by immigration officials should accept their deportment and get back in line to apply for legal entry into our country.
Then, along comes a story, as reported in today's Toronto Sun, that I suppose is to make any hardliner take another look at the issue. So I did.
Carlos Moura is a Portugese bricklayer who has been living, with his wife, Sonia, and their children, Camila, 11, Bernardo, 10, and little Steven since for the past six years. A monkey wrench in the works now crops up in the form of 11-month-old Michael, who was born here in Canada.
Carlos and his family have been ordered deported back to the Azores in Portugal as of yesterday. It seems they have accepted their fate, but the monkey wrench comes into play when you discover that Michael has no passport. Apparently, without one, he won't be allowed to leave the country. Government officials are taking a hardline stance on this, saying the Moura's are just stalling for time and have ordered the deportation to go ahead as planned. The Moura's are naturally beside themselves with Sonia saying, through an interpreter, "They are asking me to tear off a piece of my body. I am empty. I can't believe what they're asking of me." Now, no parent should ever have to imagine abandoning their child. It is cruel. It is inhumane. And yet that is what our government is telling them to do. Sonia is 29 and battling a thyroid condition that her doctors fear could be cancer. The woman certainly has a lot on her plate.
Carlos chimes in with this defence, "If it's a crook or a robber or a murderer, those people aren't deported back. I'm a hard-working bricklayer for six years. I'm honest. And I'm sent back without my child?" Sounds good on the face of it, but how honest are you when you know you're here illegally? And after six years, his wife still has to talk through an interpreter? Sorry, I don't buy it.
George Kubes, the Moura's lawyer says it is the government's own bureaucratic backlog which has left their baby without his travel papers. "They're blaming them knowing full well that they couldn't get his passport. I don't understand the urgency. They've been here six years. Another 30 days wouldn't hurt." Perhaps Mr. Kubes should have checked immigration law before advising them to apply under refugee status. I've never understood what a person from Portugal would be a refugee from. Perhaps too many sheep on the road? When the Moura's got to the Passport Canada office Tuesday, they found themselves caught in the department's crushing backlog. They were told that Michael's passport could take up to 60 days. With the surge in demand created by tighter U.S. regulations, there were no more rapid turnarounds.
Canada Border Services enforcement officer John Crosby says he has asked the department of justice to look into whether the family could leave Michael behind with a relative until he got a passport. The Moura's claim to have no relatives here so that option is out. But they do seem to have a family friend in Tony Amaral, who called the enforcement office the other day to plead their case to an officer. "He said that's not his problem," he recalled. "One way or the other, they have to leave." Couldn't Michael stay with Mr. Amaral until all this is sorted?
Doing the math, Sonia gave birth around January of 2006. Remember, Michael is now 11 months old. John Crosby is quoted as saying, "They were told back in August of last to get him a passport. I don't know why they waited until the last minute." That was six months ago, long before the passport crackdown and plenty of time to avoid line ups at the passport office. Up until a month ago, the wait for a passport was only a couple of weeks. And after years of appeals, would you not get the hint when told to get your youngest a passport, that your ass was about to be booted out of the country? They were turned down as refugee claimants and ordered to leave, yet still they were given a two-month extension last November, due to Sonia's condition. Two more months of using our health care system for free by someone who, by rights, should be paying for it out of pocket.
That 2 month extension, granted in November, brings them to January before they have to leave. On Jan. 15 they were called in and told they would be removed on Feb. 10, yet another month. Despite that month of negotiations and an emergency bid by their lawyer, they learned Friday night that there was no more hope to be had. Judge Frederick Gibson refused to stay the removal order.
They have cried and whined enough that when they did arrive at the airport, an exasperated officer told them they would not have to board the flight without their baby. Instead, they have to report the next morning to make new arrangements.
This is a sad tale to be sure. But it seems to me that the Moura's are indeed stalling and using the system for their own purposes.
I stand by my original statement: Illegals are illegals and should be removed as soon as possible. They're free to get in line with the others who are trying to emigrate on the up and up.
Sources: The Toronto Sun - Michelle Mandel, author
Then, along comes a story, as reported in today's Toronto Sun, that I suppose is to make any hardliner take another look at the issue. So I did.
Carlos Moura is a Portugese bricklayer who has been living, with his wife, Sonia, and their children, Camila, 11, Bernardo, 10, and little Steven since for the past six years. A monkey wrench in the works now crops up in the form of 11-month-old Michael, who was born here in Canada.
Carlos chimes in with this defence, "If it's a crook or a robber or a murderer, those people aren't deported back. I'm a hard-working bricklayer for six years. I'm honest. And I'm sent back without my child?" Sounds good on the face of it, but how honest are you when you know you're here illegally? And after six years, his wife still has to talk through an interpreter? Sorry, I don't buy it.
Canada Border Services enforcement officer John Crosby says he has asked the department of justice to look into whether the family could leave Michael behind with a relative until he got a passport. The Moura's claim to have no relatives here so that option is out. But they do seem to have a family friend in Tony Amaral, who called the enforcement office the other day to plead their case to an officer. "He said that's not his problem," he recalled. "One way or the other, they have to leave." Couldn't Michael stay with Mr. Amaral until all this is sorted?
Doing the math, Sonia gave birth around January of 2006. Remember, Michael is now 11 months old. John Crosby is quoted as saying, "They were told back in August of last to get him a passport. I don't know why they waited until the last minute." That was six months ago, long before the passport crackdown and plenty of time to avoid line ups at the passport office. Up until a month ago, the wait for a passport was only a couple of weeks. And after years of appeals, would you not get the hint when told to get your youngest a passport, that your ass was about to be booted out of the country? They were turned down as refugee claimants and ordered to leave, yet still they were given a two-month extension last November, due to Sonia's condition. Two more months of using our health care system for free by someone who, by rights, should be paying for it out of pocket.
That 2 month extension, granted in November, brings them to January before they have to leave. On Jan. 15 they were called in and told they would be removed on Feb. 10, yet another month. Despite that month of negotiations and an emergency bid by their lawyer, they learned Friday night that there was no more hope to be had. Judge Frederick Gibson refused to stay the removal order.
They have cried and whined enough that when they did arrive at the airport, an exasperated officer told them they would not have to board the flight without their baby. Instead, they have to report the next morning to make new arrangements.
This is a sad tale to be sure. But it seems to me that the Moura's are indeed stalling and using the system for their own purposes.
I stand by my original statement: Illegals are illegals and should be removed as soon as possible. They're free to get in line with the others who are trying to emigrate on the up and up.
Sources: The Toronto Sun - Michelle Mandel, author
Political Minds
Fakes Frauds Fools
Hey, you have the right to say what you think, but please spare us of your stupidity.
Paul
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
I am not for illegal immigration, but I also think one should be careful when making a comment, cause there real lifes and dramas behind it.
But then I guess you must be above all of that to make your "sarcasm", as you say.
Respect others and you will be respected.
Paul
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern
It shows you draw conclusions too fast, even in relation to me.
For me, this dialog (between you and me) is closed.
You are too limited and basic, so I hope you will mature in the next years.
Learn to live in community, which I can see you have difficulty in.
Another wish; please donīt dirty the Internet with your bad mouth.
Thank God or the universe you are not part of any government in the world. That would be a real disaster!!!
I am not feeding this conversation with you anymore.
I just stick to the words: Respect others and you will be respected.
I do respect people and get their kindness back.
To all the people who answered this issue I read I respect, but your idiot comment.
Get the cup, all the space left in here is yours. It doesn't mean you are worth it.
Paul
youranter
Opinions
opinionatedranter
Tales From The Green Lantern