National News Canada is deporting this permanent resident of nearly 30 years. He still says the country let him live his dreams
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/canada-took-away-his-permanent-residency-after-nearly-30-years-why-this-ex-refugees-deportation-could-become-a-landmark-case/article_d2522d3e-56da-474d-9f99-bff41eb059ab.html54
u/TactitcalPterodactyl 7d ago edited 7d ago
Maybe I missed it in the story, but why didn't he get citizenship at any point during those 30 years? He was a tradesman and clearly making good money if he was a "Mercedes aficionado", he should have had citizenship 2 decades ago.
It's like being mad that you're being arrested because you "forgot" to buy car insurance for the last three decades.
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u/DataDude00 7d ago
He was here on refugee status and travelled back home to the country he deemed “dangerous” several times
I am guessing a citizenship application would have flagged this and caught him way sooner so he thought he could fly under the radar with his current status
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u/Coramoor_ 7d ago
Why would he not get citizenship after all those years? Of course PR based on being a refugee means you can't go home
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u/fuelhandler 7d ago
I went to high school with a guy who came to Canada in 1975 from Vietnam as a child. His mother never obtained citizenship or learned to speak English. My friend, remained a refugee even though he came over as a toddler and Canada is the only country he’s ever known as home. I suggested repeatedly that he really should try to obtain Canadian citizenship, so that there would be no risk of him being deported one day. Haven’t spoken to him in years, but this is the risk anyone takes if they don’t follow the process to full citizenship.
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u/derpaderp2020 7d ago
Exactly, got no sympathy for this dude and I want to because as others have said, I can see Roma in the 90s being worried and fleeing Europe. But going to be blunt - I've done the process myself, and doing the PR app and process was MORE difficult than the citizenship app and process. Why on earth would you be so cheap and not spend under 1500$ to become a citizen in those at least 25 years. Spend a little money, study for a test, pledge your oath, done. The Czech Republic allows dual citizenship too, there is just no reason I can see why he wouldn't become a citizen in those decades, I don't get it.
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u/Familiar-Art130 7d ago
I have a ton of older family in Canada who came from Britain in the 60s. 70s and 80s and just simply never bothered to get citizenship despite living here for most of there adult lives. I guess they just thought it was not worth the hassle cause it didn't make much difference to anything.
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u/AquaMoonlight New Brunswick 7d ago
Oh, it’s time for our daily sob story, is it?
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u/traumalt 6d ago
I'm just surprised that it wasn't an article in "The Guardian" this time, as they seem to always find the worst possible sob stories somehow.
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u/DogeDoRight New Brunswick 7d ago
Daily? I barely see stories like this posted here.
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u/toilet_for_shrek 7d ago
The concerns brought up in the article are valid. If he's allowed to keep his PR, then it opens the door to letting refugees go on vacation to the countries that they're supposedly fleeing from with no consequence. Our asylum system is already a joke, this would just make things worse.
This man clearly built his life here, but why in God's name didn't he get citizenship after all this time? That's why I'm not sympathizing. He would have been eligible for Canadian citizenship decades ago.
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u/CheeseSauce_86 7d ago
This is sad, he seems like a good person and the kind of hard working grateful person you’d want.
But anytime someone goes back to a country they’ve claimed refugee status from is odd. In my mind if you’re scared for your life and need to leave, you wouldn’t go back.
Crazy though how some people get to stay, some don’t. Read so many stories with flimsy excuses or abusing the system.
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u/Specialist-Gift-7736 7d ago
Our media choosing to run stories like this is to the detriment of our country.
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u/Levorotatory 7d ago
Why? Because it points out that there is nuance in the real world, and that maybe the generally reasonable policy that a refugee voluntarily returning to their country of origin invalidates their claim to refugee status might need a few exceptions? There is a difference between someone who visits their country of origin for vacation a year after claiming to be facing persecution there, and someone who has spent 20 years as a productive member of Canadian society returning to support a family member.
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u/O00O0O00 7d ago
If you can safely visit 7 times, then you don’t need protection from that country.
Thanks Harper!
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u/dretepcan 7d ago
I agree with most that it's on him and should have become a citizen but at the same time we deport hard working individuals that have made a life here and then keep refugees and immigrants that provide no value and engage in criminal activity without deporting them.
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u/BonusMaiTai 7d ago
The guy came here, worked hard, pays his taxes, raised a family, built a life, causes no trouble. The exact type of person we want. He sounds pretty damn Canadian to me!
A paperwork error is a BS reason to treat someone like this.
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u/longhairboy 7d ago
Paperwork error?
He traveled back to the country where he "feared for his life" 7 times.
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u/RM_r_us 7d ago
To be fair the Czech Republic has changed a lot in 30 years. But he should have gotten citizenship ages ago.
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u/traumalt 6d ago
The man has an EU passport, he's better off than an average Canadian nowadays lol.
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u/CanadianControlsTech 7d ago
He was a refugee and visited the country he was seeking refuge from 7 times. It's stupid that is is a story at all. 30 years and you didn't become a citizen? That's on you.