Some Haitian-Montrealers are worried about the consequences of deportations resuming as they make every effort to meet the June 1, 2015 deadline to apply for Permanent Residency in Canada.

Some Haitian-Montrealers are worried about the consequences of deportations resuming as they make every effort to meet the June 1, 2015 deadline to apply for Permanent Residency in Canada.
Photo Credit: CBC

Haitians want more time before deportations resume

Haitians who took refuge in Canada following the 2010 earthquake, and those who were already here then, want more time to file applications to remain in Canada.

The federal government lifted a moratorium on deportations to Haiti, put in place in 2010 following the devastating earthquake.

The government made the announcement late in December 2014, giving Haitians until June 1st 2015, to apply for Permanent Residence status on humanitarian grounds.

The challenge, according to Marjorie Villefranche, director of Montreal’s Maison d’Haiti, is that six months were not enough time to provide all the corroborating evidence.  She is asking for a three-month extension to help people complete their documents.

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It’s estimated there are over 3,000 Haitians in danger of being deported, and Villefranche says the application process has been challenging due to the need to provide proof, often with documents needed from Haiti, that in the wake of the devastation, may be hard to come by.

Several vounteers with the Maison d’Haiti have been helping people complete applications, but many are now fearing the consequences if an extension is not granted.

Federal Immigration Minister Chris Alexander said Canada had been generous to Haitians and Zimbabweans, another group protected by a moratorium on deportations.

Alexander said the uncertainty in the two countries had ended, and hence the lift on the temporary ban.

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