Montreal, 2 October 2022 — In a decision dated September 30, 2022, the Honourable Justice Gleeson of the Federal Court of Canada ordered a stay of the removal order against Mamadou KONATÉ, which was to have taken place on October 5 to the Ivory Coast. The request for a stay of execution was heard by video conference on 28 September. The stay ordered will run until a decision on the merits is made on the judicial review of CBSA’s decision to refuse to defer Mamadou’s removal, which could take approximately 8 to 12 months.
This is the third time that the Federal Court has ordered a stay of removal for Mamadou KONATÉ. We believe that it is then more than the time that IRCC and CBSA seize the opportunity to finally regularize Mamadou’s status in Canada. Mamadou has a new application for a temporary resident permit in process, it would allow him to obtain status in the country. He still has an application for a Ministerial Exemption in process since January 2021 which would allow him to lift the inadmissibility taken against him so that he can obtain permanent residence. A new Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) application has also been filed, which would allow him to obtain protected person status. In short, there is a multitude of possibilities for the Canadian authorities to finally regularize Mamadou’s status in Canada.
Mamadou was able to mobilize the civil and political class as a whole and all decided to defend him. This support is more than significant: more than 41,000 people have signed a petition supporting him in his efforts, personalities from all walks of life have publicly supported him, not to mention the solidarity shown by hundreds of people throughout Quebec.
A guardian angel during the pandemic, he gave everything on the front lines during COVID-19 to help save lives. A hard worker, he only asks to continue his Canadian life in safety, with his family. The Government of Canada must finally answer the call of all and grant status to Mamadou. The evidence shows that he is at serious risk to his life in Côte d’Ivoire, it is more than time to protect him.
