A Toronto woman and her son who were facing deportation after living in Canada for 19 years are now being allowed to stay for three more months as their lawyer takes their fight to federal court.
On Friday, just hours after CBC News reported that Nike Okafor’s family faced being torn apart as she and her eldest son were ordered to return to Nigeria, the family’s lawyer received a letter from the Canada Border Services Agency granting their request for a deferral.
Okafor, 39, and her 21-year-old son Sydney, who was born in Nigeria, had been bracing to say goodbye to her Canadian husband and two children who were born in this country. They were to report to Toronto’s Pearson Airport on July 26.
“Having considered your request, I am of the opinion that a deferral of the removal order is appropriate under the circumstances,” the CBSA’s letter says. However, it adds that the agency has an obligation to carry out deportations “as soon as reasonably possible.”
Okafor and her son had been in Canada for nearly two decades before she received a deportation order this past May.
‘My whole life is here’
All this time later, she never imagined that she would be ripped from her husband and two of her children — all Canadian citizens — and forced to return to the country she fled.
Instead, the mother of three once again found herself fighting for her future, as well as that of her son, who arrived with her at the age of two all those years ago. She was pregnant with her second child at the time.
“If I have to go back, it will end my life,” Okafor said through tears. “I’ll be separated from my husband, I’ll be separated from my Canadian children, I don’t know how I can live.”
“My whole life is here.”
WATCH | ‘It will end my life,’ says mother facing deportation after 19 years in Canada:
‘Please let me stay here,’ says mother facing deportation after 19 years in Canada
15 hours ago
Duration 1:55
After nearly two decades in Canada, Nike Okafor is facing deportation to Nigeria despite having a Canadian husband and two Canadian children, amid delays in processing her spousal sponsorship application. The mother of three speaks to CBC Toronto about her wish to stay in the country.
Okafor came to Canada as an asylum seeker in 2003. A Muslim, she’d had a son with a Christian man and says she feared the boy would be taken from her amid religious tensions in Nigeria’s north. She fled to secure a future for them both, she told CBC News.
Her refugee claim was denied but as Okafor appealed and tried to find a way to stay, life went on. She said she was told to stay in close touch with the CBSA over the years and did so.
In the meantime, she put herself through school, found employment as a personal support worker, had two Canadian-born children, met the man she would marry and built a future she never thought possible back home.
But that future was nearly cut short.
‘Very, very unjust’
This past April, Okafor and her son, who are currently in Canada without status, suddenly received a deportation order from the CBSA. That’s despite her husband filing a spousal sponsorship application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) more than two years ago.
WATCH | This Canadian may have to say goodbye to his wife as she faces deportation:
This Canadian citizen may have to say goodbye to his wife as she faces deportation
15 hours ago
Duration 1:29
Rotimi Odunaiya’s wife, Nike Okafor, is facing deportation to Nigeria after living in Canada for 19 years after delays in the government processing her spousal application. He speaks to CBC Toronto about the message he has for the government.
According to the federal government’s website, the average processing time for spousal sponsorships is 15 months. Okafor has been waiting 28 months already and says she would have long been a permanent resident if not for the delays.
It’s a situation that Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees, calls “very, very unjust.”
“I think that most Canadians, when they look at these situations, they think that this doesn’t make any sense, and of course, how is it that one part of the government is kind of undermining the efforts of the other? Don’t they talk to each other?” Dench said.
“And basically the answer is that, no … at least, not on individual cases.”
Dench said while a case like Okafor’s involves both the CBSA and IRCC, the two departments work according to their specific mandates, the former focused on law enforcement and the latter selecting and facilitating new residents.
Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees, calls the situation Okafor and her son are facing ‘unjust.’ (CBC)
The IRCC’s website says one of the ministry’s goals is “family reunification.” Still, there appears to be no mechanism to prevent the CBSA from removing someone even if they have a family-class-related permanent residency application underway, as is the case for Okafor and her son.
Dench said she’s hopeful that will soon change, noting the federal immigration minister’s mandate letter calls on him to look into broadening options for undocumented workers.
“We’re hoping that the government will see the opportunity to really regularize a very large number of people and to put an end to this kind of contradiction,” she said.
Family reunification a ‘pillar’ of immigration system
In a statement to CBC News, IRCC said Okafor and her son’s application for permanent residence is “in queue for review” and will be met with an “objective review.”
The department would not say how long the wait will be and said time frames for processing some applications may vary due to the “unique nature” of each case. It also did not explain how someone with an application under review could be given a deportation order or whether the IRCC communicates with the CBSA to prevent such situations.
“Family reunification is a fundamental pillar of our immigration system, and IRCC works to process applications for permanent residence expeditiously while conducting all verifications required under the law,” the statement said.
The CBSA told CBC News “the decision to remove someone from Canada is not taken lightly.”
There are “a variety of reasons” that might prevent a removal order from being enforced expeditiously, it said. Having a Canadian-born child does not prevent a person from being deported, however it added “the CBSA always considers the best interest of the child before removing someone.”
With time running out for Okafor and her family, Toronto-based immigration lawyer Vakkas Bilsin hopes the spousal sponsorship will be approved in the three months that the family has been granted. (CBC)
With time running out for Okafor and her family, Toronto-based immigration lawyer Vakkas Bilsin has brought the case before the federal court and hopes the spousal sponsorship will be approved in the three months that the family has been granted.
“Knowingly sending Ms. and Mr. Okafor into the inevitable, serious and irreparable harm that awaits them in Nigeria is merciless and goes against every fibre that Canada’s immigration and refugee system and Canadian society was built on,” Bilsin wrote in a recent application calling on the CBSA to defer their deportation.
Speaking to CBC News, Bilsin said he’s seen no explanation for why the CBSA is opting to remove the two all these years later.
“I think she deserves to be in Canada. She might not have permanent residency but she’s Canadian in heart.”
‘We would have to restart our lives’
As their deportation date approached, Okafor’s eldest son tried to make sense of what it would mean to leave behind the only country he’s called home.
Enrolled in a sports management program at Humber College, he had no idea if he’d be in Canada to see it through. He worried too about his younger siblings who look up to him.
As their deportation date approaches, Okafor’s Nigerian-born son Sydney, now 21, is trying to make sense of what it would mean to leave behind the only country he’s called home. (Paul Borkwood/CBC)
“If we had to leave, we would have to restart our lives,” he said. “It wouldn’t be right.”
Okafor’s husband, Rotimi Odunaiya, a Canadian citizen who she’s been with for 10 years and married for about five, said the family has been living one day at a time, hoping the government will step in to keep them together.
“Somebody who has already lived a life here, up to two decades… contributing to society, working as a PSW — it’s not a joke,” he said. “If somebody says this cannot happen in Canada — yes, it does happen.”
“We’re a family,” he said. “Don’t split us.”
For more stories about the experiences of Black Canadians — from anti-Black racism to success stories within the Black community — check out Being Black in Canada, a CBC project Black Canadians can be proud of. You can read more stories here.
TORONTO – Will Taylor Swift bring chaos or do we all need to calm down?
It’s a question many Torontonians are asking this week as the city braces for the arrival of Swifties, the massive fan base of one of the world’s biggest pop stars.
Hundreds of thousands are expected to descend on the downtown core for the singer’s six concerts which kick off Thursday at the Rogers Centre and run until Nov. 23.
And while their arrival will be a boon to tourism dollars — the city estimates more than $282 million in economic impact — some worry it could worsen Toronto’s gridlock by clogging streets that already come to a standstill during rush hour.
Swift’s shows are set to collide with sports events at the nearby Scotiabank Arena, including a Raptors game on Friday and a Leafs game on Saturday.
Some residents and local businesses have already adjusted their plans to avoid the area and its planned road closures.
Aahil Dayani says he and some friends intended to throw a birthday bash for one of their pals until they realized it would overlap with the concerts.
“Something as simple as getting together and having dinner is now thrown out the window,” he said.
Dayani says the group rescheduled the gathering for after Swift leaves town. In the meantime, he plans to hunker down at his Toronto residence.
“Her coming into town has kind of changed up my social life,” he added.
“We’re pretty much just not doing anything.”
Max Sinclair, chief executive and founder of A.I. technology firm Ecomtent, suggested his employees avoid the company’s downtown offices on concert days, saying he doesn’t see the point in forcing people to endure potential traffic jams.
“It’s going to be less productive for us, and it’s going to be just a pain for everyone, so it’s easier to avoid it,” Sinclair said.
“We’re a hybrid company, so we can be flexible. It just makes sense.”
Swift’s concerts are the latest pop culture moment to draw attention to Toronto’s notoriously disastrous daily commute.
In June, One Direction singer Niall Horan uploaded a social media video of himself walking through traffic to reach the venue for his concert.
“Traffic’s too bad in Toronto, so we’re walking to the venue,” he wrote in the post.
Toronto Transit Commission spokesperson Stuart Green says the public agency has been working for more than a year on plans to ease the pressure of so many Swifties in one confined area.
“We are preparing for something that would be akin to maybe the Beatles coming in the ‘60s,” he said.
Dozens of buses and streetcars have been added to transit routes around the stadium, and the TTC has consulted the city on potential emergency scenarios.
Green will be part of a command centre operated by the City of Toronto and staffed by Toronto police leaders, emergency services and others who have handled massive gatherings including the Raptors’ NBA championship parade in 2019.
“There may be some who will say we’re over-preparing, and that’s fair,” Green said.
“But we know based on what’s happened in other places, better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.”
Metrolinx, the agency for Ontario’s GO Transit system, has also added extra trips and extended hours in some regions to accommodate fans looking to travel home.
A day before Swift’s first performance, the city began clearing out tents belonging to homeless people near the venue. The city said two people were offered space in a shelter.
“As the area around Rogers Centre is expected to receive a high volume of foot traffic in the coming days, this area has been prioritized for outreach work to ensure the safety of individuals in encampments, other residents, businesses and visitors — as is standard for large-scale events,” city spokesperson Russell Baker said in a statement.
Homeless advocate Diana Chan McNally questioned whether money and optics were behind the measure.
“People (in the area) are already in close proximity to concerts, sports games, and other events that generate massive amounts of traffic — that’s nothing new,” she said in a statement.
“If people were offered and willingly accepted a shelter space, free of coercion, I support that fully — that’s how it should happen.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
TORONTO – Hundreds of Taylor Swift fans lined up outside the gates of Toronto’s Rogers Centre Wednesday, with hopes of snagging some of the pop star’s merchandise on the eve of the first of her six sold-out shows in the city.
Swift is slated to perform at the venue from Thursday to Saturday, and the following week from Nov. 21 to Nov. 23, with concert merchandise available for sale on some non-show days.
Swifties were all smiles as they left the merch shop, their arms full of sweaters and posters bearing pictures of the star and her Eras Tour logo.
Among them was Zoe Haronitis, 22, who said she waited in line for about two hours to get $300 worth of merchandise, including some apparel for her friends.
Haronitis endured the autumn cold and the hefty price tag even though she hasn’t secured a concert ticket. She said she’s hunting down a resale ticket and plans to spend up to $600.
“I haven’t really budgeted anything,” Haronitis said. “I don’t care how much money I spent. That was kind of my mindset.”
The megastar’s merchandise costs up to $115 for a sweater, and $30 for tote bags and other accessories.
Rachel Renwick, 28, also waited a couple of hours in line for merchandise, but only spent about $70 after learning that a coveted blue sweater and a crewneck had been snatched up by other eager fans before she got to the shop. She had been prepared to spend much more, she said.
“The two prized items sold out. I think a lot more damage would have been done,” Renwick said, adding she’s still determined to buy a sweater at a later date.
Renwick estimated she’s spent about $500 in total on “all-things Eras Tour,” including her concert outfit and merchandise.
The long queue for Swift merch is just a snapshot of what the city will see in the coming days. It’s estimated that up to 500,000 visitors from outside Toronto will be in town during the concert period.
Tens of thousands more are also expected to attend Taylgate’24, an unofficial Swiftie fan event scheduled to be held at the nearby Metro Toronto Convention Centre.
Meanwhile, Destination Toronto has said it anticipates the economic impact of the Eras Tour could grow to $282 million as the money continues to circulate.
But for fans like Haronitis, the experience in Toronto comes down to the Swiftie community. Knowing that Swift is going to be in the city for six shows and seeing hundreds gather just for merchandise is “awesome,” she said.
Even though Haronitis hasn’t officially bought her ticket yet, she said she’s excited to see the megastar.
“It’s literally incredible.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
OTTAWA – Via Rail is asking for a judicial review on the reasons why Canadian National Railway Co. has imposed speed restrictions on its new passenger trains.
The Crown corporation says it is seeking the review from the Federal Court after many attempts at dialogue with the company did not yield valid reasoning for the change.
It says the restrictions imposed last month are causing daily delays on Via Rail’s Québec City-Windsor corridor, affecting thousands of passengers and damaging Via Rail’s reputation with travellers.
CN says in a statement that it imposed the restrictions at rail crossings given the industry’s experience and known risks associated with similar trains.
The company says Via has asked the courts to weigh in even though Via has agreed to buy the equipment needed to permanently fix the issues.
Via said in October that no incidents at level crossings have been reported in the two years since it put 16 Siemens Venture trains into operation.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 13, 2024.
