TORONTO COMMUNITY ACTIVIST WENDY MAXWELL SET TO BE DEPORTED MONDAY. JOIN NOII-VAN TO BRING THE MESSAGE TO CIC VANCOUVER.

Friday March 11 12 Noon. CIC-Vancouver (300 West Georgia)

*** SEE SAMPLE LETTER BELOW *

On Saturday March 5th at the International Women’s Day rally in Toronto, a woman was arrested by Toronto Police while selling cookies to raise money for CKLN Community Radio. Her crime: living in Canada with out Immigration status. Wendy Maxwell, also known as Nzinga, is now in jail and on hunger strike at the Vanier Centre for Women in Milton, Ontario. Her deportation date to Costa Rica has been set for this coming Monday, March 14th at 2pm.

Since her arrest, friends, activists and supporters in Toronto have been tirelessly fighting for Nzinga’s release. Hundreds took part in a rally on March 8th demanding her deportation be stopped, and a group of supporters are now engaged in a solidarity hunger strike to further publicize Nzinga’s situation and put pressure on CIC.

Counsel has just received word from Officer Martin Kosichek at the Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre that Wendy’s deportation has been set for this coming Monday, March 14th to Costa Rica.

Yesterday’s detention review resulted in a denial of bond, due to the Judge’s opinion that Wendy’s fear of risk upon return to Costa Rica is so high that he fears she is ‘a flight risk’ (ie. will not appear for future dealings with Immigration Canada).

The Canada Border Services Agent who appeared in court stated his willingness to agree to terms and conditions of release if Wendy was granted a deferral of removal or temporary residence status (ie. by Minister Volpe using his powers and/or Immigration Canada approving the first stage of the H&C).

In Ottawa on Monday afternoon, New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton presented to Immigration Minister Joe Volpe his request to intervene in the case of community activist Wendy Maxwell Edwards. Emergency legal avenues are being pursued. However, it is IMPERATIVE that people ACT NOW. We must keep the pressure up now more than ever. If you write a letter, please ensure that a copy is sent by fax to the legal
team, to the attention of MacDonald Scott at (416)633-9782.

CALL FAX CALL FAX CALL FAX CALL FAX CALL FAX CALL FAX CALL FAX CALL FAX

Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, Joe Volpe

In Toronto: (416) 781-5583 (phone)
(416)781-5586 (fax)
In Ottawa: (613) 992-6361 (phone)
(613)992-9791 (fax)

ASK MINISTER VOLPE TO: Grant WENDY MAXWELL a Temporary Resident’s Permit IMMEDIATELY so that she can remain in Canada legally until her Humanitarian and Compassionate Leave application for permanent resident’s status is decided upon (the application was filed in February of 2004 and has been in the system for over a year now).

ALSO, take a minute to call the Enforcement Officer responsible for Wendy’s deportation at the Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre, and ask him to defer Wendy’s deportation (which he has the discretion to do) IMMEDIATELY.
Martin Kosichek, Removals Officer
(905) 405-3630 (phone)
(905) 405-3529 (fax)

SAMPLE LETTER

March 10, 2005

Re. Wendy Maxwell Edwards

Our organizations are writing you out of grave concern regarding the case of Wendy Maxwell. We have been informed that Ms. Maxwell was arrested on an Immigration violation while selling cookies as a community fundraiser at an International Women’s Day event at Ryerson University in Toronto on Saturday March 5th. She is now being held at the Vanier Centre for Women and facing deportation to her native Costa Rica on Monday March 14.

We strongly urge to you to intervene to grant Ms. Maxwell a Temporary Resident’s Permit so she may remain in Canada until her Humanitarian and Compassionate application is adjudicated.

Ms. Maxwell is a highly respected community activist who has worked with countless social organizations during her 7 years in Canada. With Street Light Support Services she gave workshops to help women in their transition out of the sex trade industry. She collaborated with the Latin American Coalition to end Violence Against Women (LACEV now known as MUJER) to develop a similar project. She volunteered her free time at the Barbra Schlifer Commemorative Clinic at the Ralph Thornton Community Centre, and with the Black Coalition for Aids Prevention (BlackCAP). She is a programmer and co-host of a community radio show as a part of a collective of Latin-American women called Sembradoras on CKLN 88.1. She also co-wrote a book in collaboration with McGill University for the Canadian Aids Society.

We also understand that Ms. Maxwell fears greatly for her safety if returned to Costa Rica. As a Black, bisexual woman she fears the Costa Rican police whose racial profiling and homophobia are well documented. She was sexually assaulted by the police while living in Costa Rica. Added to this, she fears violence from a Costa Rican gang which she has had dealings with in the past, and, understandably, she fears the police will not adequately protect her. Ms. Maxwell is still coping with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (documented by Psychologists at the Toronto Rape Crisis Centre and other clinics) due to the abuse she experienced in Costa Rica. We are deeply concerned about the impact of forcing her to return to there.

On a day geared towards ending violence and discrimination against women internationally, it is a cruel irony that a woman so deeply committed to the struggle for human rights was targeted by your Ministry for detention and deportation to a country where she fears gender, racial, and
sexuality-based persecution.

In Ottawa on Monday afternoon, New Democratic Party Leader Jack Layton presented to Immigration Minister Joe Volpe his request to intervene in the case of community activist Wendy Maxwell Edwards. We join him and others, in requesting you to intervene to grant Wendy Maxwell a Temporary Resident’s Permit so that she can remain in Canada legally until her Humanitarian and Compassionate Leave application for permanent resident’s status is decided upon.