Living in Fear of Deportation

MM is a mature, single Iranian man who is in fear of deportation for long time.  He has been living in Canada for 17 years.  “I don’t know why somebody has to be put in immigration detention until people realize that person is in danger to be deported.  Why not act before that. what I was hoping or asking that you can maybe write about all of us that are living here long time with the fear of being deported soon or later. We don’t have really proper life, no support and no security. Maybe asking people they act before that or at least if they know somebody is in immigration detention come and help anyway they can and give that person support and a chance. I do not want to wait until I’ll be arrested then I cannot reach anybody when I am in there.  I myself have no support. “
 
Paul Collins– Do you own, or rent a home?

 

MM:  -I am not allowed to own house or business until I am citizen. I would have my own small business by now and I could afford to buy my own place.  I have been living in a room in shared house or apartment most of the time until now.

 

Paul Collins: Do you even have a social security number, or social insurance number? Are you paid under the table?

 

MM: -I have been working since government cut my welfare and that was about the 1996. I received welfare 2 years and started working instead of studying for the whole time.  I never worked in cash did not want to because I thought working the right way is a plus for my situation.  I guess I was wrong.  I have been working with the same SIN they gave me first time. At that time did not have expiration date so I could use it. Of course I could not have jobs that I wanted but they were job.

I’ve been jobless many times and I had to use my only investment until I find another one. I was never able to receive any other help even the EI that was my right to receive. Now they gave me a work permit with SIN card for 3 years because I applied for PR for the last time and I needed to work until the result comes up and I mentioned about it in my work permit application letter, So they gave it to me but this does not mean that they cannot arrest me, yes they can.  They can arrest me any time.

 

Paul Collins–If you had a proper record of your earnings, would you pay your back taxes in order to buy a Canadian citizenship, your access to much needed benefits? Should the UN make such a resolution into law? Should such a law be enacted in Canada, or the US, as a way of governments giving amnesty for immigrants in exile? Such a law would help immigrants in exile to get their citizenship and give cash strapped governments a way to raise much needed revenue in our uncertain economic times. What do you think about this proposal?

 

MM: – I’ve been paying taxes since I started working first that was what I had to do, second there was always some money came back to me, third I thought again it is a plus for my situation.
 
I am not sure if there is such a thing as buying citizenship with paying taxes or you are just asking my opinion about that. I do not owe any tax payment.  I could be a good citizen, Mr. Collins, cause I’ve never been in debt and never miss a payment. 

About UN make this resolution into Law, I am neither a law maker nor politician to be able to decide what should be a law what not, but I always like to say my opinion if that’s what you are asking.
 
We as an ordinary people should say our opinions and fight for justice. I think when it comes to justice, fairness and human rights for sake of people and country a law should be done. I say,  the government should take care of people in general including new comers, refugees who desperately need to be here and be protected so in return they will take care of government, country, obey the rules, respect policies and be helpful to the society.  Immigrants helped this country a lot and continue to do so is government’s turn to make a beautiful law such as this to be helpful to them.
 
Mr. Collins,  I hope I was able to answer your questions properly.  I thank you for your time and effort.

 

We thank you, MM.

Paul Collins, author of Mack Dunstan’s Inferno / Mystery of Everyman’s Way