Haitians living in Canada unable to be reunited with family
February 26 2010 by Liam Clifford
Haitian refugees living in Canada are facing obstacles in obtaining a Canada visa for their families.
According to a senior public servant and member of Ottawa's Haitian
community, Gerard Etienne, unless a refugee claimant qualifies for the
government's fast-tracking category, they cannot reunite with their
relatives who survived last month’s earthquake. Canada’s federal
government has promised to fast-track refugee applications from
Haitians with immediate family in Canada.
Etienne, who has been working with other Ottawa Haitians to help locate
family members and raise money, brought the case of 32-year-old Scheida
Prince to the media’s attention.
Prince emigrated to Canada in November and claimed refugee status on
the grounds of political persecution. Her five-year-old son remained in
Haiti. The boy’s guardian did not survive the earthquake and Prince has
been trying to find a way to bring her son to Canada. She does not have
any immediate family in Canada and doesn't fall under the government's
fast-tracking category.
Prince's refugee case may not be reviewed for 18 months or more.
Etienne is campaigning for the boy to be granted a temporary Canada
visa in the interim."It's a simple problem … it's undue prejudice to
separate the two and to leave a five-year-old who has asthma on the
streets of Haiti," he said. "Most Canadians will understand that. A
mother will understand that. A father will understand that."
See the latest Immigration News
