A family living in Ontario, Canada, is facing their
worst nightmare: being deported to Nigeria before one child, who was diagnosed with leukemia and is still struggling to get well, can receive the treatment she needs. To add to the terror, the family is in the middle of appealing a refugee claim because of
violent threats to their lives if they return home.It's almost like Canada is taking a note out of the United States'
racist, ableist, xenophobic playbook, using the exact same strategies to treat refugees and immigrants inhumanely.
Sign now to demand that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) do the right thing and grant this family permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds!One of the family's daughters, Amirat, was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia in 2022 in the United States. This diagnosis must have been terrifying but also miraculous -- Amirat initially fell ill at home in Nigeria, but could not get a proper diagnosis.
Once she was told it was just the flu; another time, she was told she was possessed. When she was given a meaningful diagnosis and subsequent treatment, it saved her life.
But Amirat is not out of danger -- she requires constant medical treatment and hospital stays in Canada due to complications that could mean her cancer has returned.To send her back to Nigeria now could be a death sentence.Even if all of the family members were in good health, forcing them to return to Nigeria would be extremely dangerous. Amirat's father was
kidnapped and nearly killed because of his political affiliations. According to the family, this poor man is now in hiding, fearing for his life.
Why would Canada force a family to return to a nation where they are at such high risk?Canada prides itself on being a more humane country than the United States -- the country legalized gay marriage a decade earlier, has a healthcare system that prevents people from falling into tens of thousands of dollars of medical debt, and has significantly lower rates of incarceration and police brutality.
But if our northern neighbor wants to maintain that flowery and progressive reputation, it's time IRCC actually protects refugees like this family. Sign the petition now if you agree!