Ruby Pratka
Local Journalism Initiative
About 15 Cowansville residents, including Mayor Sylvie Beauregard, gathered in front of the Centre Femmes des Cantons on Nov. 2 in support of an asylum seeker who faces deportation.
Philomena, 52, whose last name has been withheld for security reasons, is originally from Nigeria and lives and works in the Cowansville area. She arrived in Quebec in 2018 via the now-closed Roxham Road border crossing and applied for asylum. Her application was refused – “her [initial] application, her appeal and even her pre-removal risk assessment [a last-ditch application for a stay of deportation aimed at preventing deportation to an unsafe environment]” – according to Micaela Robitaille, a support worker at the Centre Femmes des Cantons who has launched a petition to stop Philomena’s pending deportation, scheduled for Nov. 9.
“Philomena’s home country, Nigeria, is a country to which the government of Canada recommends avoiding non-essential travel ‘due to unpredictable security conditions throughout the country and the significant risk of terrorist acts, intercommunity clashes, armed attacks and kidnappings’ as indicated on the voyage.gc.ca website,” Robitaille said. “Philomena is afraid because, in addition to the critical political, economic and social situation in Nigeria, she is part of a religious minority that is persecuted in this country. It was the death of her daughter, murdered because of her religious affiliation, which pushed her to try to find refuge in Canada in 2018,” Robitaille said. “At the Centre Femmes des Cantons, we can’t explain the removal order against her. She fled her country to save her life, she’s integrated and appreciated in the community and she has held a job for several years.”
“She came here alone to find refuge, and despite the immense pain following the tragic death of her daughter in Nigeria, she did not give up. She rolled up her sleeves, worked and followed the legal processes to obtain status. We don’t understand why Canada doesn’t recognize the risks she faces by returning to Nigeria or her contribution to Quebec society while we are facing a major labour shortage. It’s inhumane to return a person who fears for their life to a country where we don’t even recommend traveling,” said the centre’s co-ordinator, Josiane Whittom.
Fanny Poisson, communications director at the Ville de Cowansville, said Beauregard attended the vigil because “the lady is a citizen of Cowansville who has become integrated in the community since her arrival.” Poisson said Beauregard was in contact with Brome-Missisquoi MP Pascale St-Onge and had sent a letter to Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marc Miller, who could use his discretionary power to override the deportation order. No one from St-Onge’s or Miller’s office was able to comment on the record at press time.