ONTARIO/OCAP

SUPPORT ETHIOPIAN FAMILY SEPERATED BY RACIST IMMIGRATION CANADA:

FROM OCAP, THE ONTARIO COALITION AGAINST POVERTY:

Aiyen Omer became a refugee in 2000 and filed soon after to bring her children to Canada. Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) sat on the application for five years, finally denying the sponsorship based on the children being more than 22 years. This is an error in la. Immigration Canada's own rules state that the date where age is to be considered is the date when the application is FIRST filed. In Aiyen's case this was in 2001 when her children were well below 22 years, the age of cut off.

Immigration Canada's decision has destroyed Ms Omer. Her legal council is filing to reopen the application, based on the error in law, but community support id urgently needed. Aiyen Omer needs her children's support to deal with her serious medical conditions. Immigration Canada and Minister Diane Finlay can choose to correct this situation. Aiyen Omer needs and deserves to be with her children.

HELP AIYEN OMER BE REUNITED WITH HER CHILDREN:

PLEASE SIGN THE FOLLOWING PETITION AT http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/UniteAiyenOmerandherfamily

To: The Honourable Diane Finlay, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Citizenship and Immigration Canada:

We, the undersigned, are signing to express our support for Ms. Aiyen Omer and her family (Client ID No 3940 3714). Ms Omer is a refugee from Ethiopia (she was found to be a refugee in 2000) and applied to bring her three children from Ethiopia after winning her hearing (her children are Nuwera Ahmed Ali born 1980, narima Ahmed Ali born 1981 and Sozil Ahmed born 1984). Unfortunately Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) mistakenly refused the children's application in 2006 based on their ages at the time CIC made the decision (which is an error against regular immigration procedures). Since this decision Ms Omer's separation from her children has resulted in a serious decline in her health, which had already been harmed by the experiences leading to her flight to Canada. Her Doctor has stated that she is "...in urgent need of family presence to assist her...".

As such, we would ask that you use your discretion under section 25 (1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to re-open her children's application to come to Canada. An error in law was made which has made a terrible impact on Ms Omer and her family, and we rely on your compassion to take steps to correct it.