Singh will be deported, border agents are assured

Posted by admin on Jan 23rd, 2008

IAN BAILEY, From Tuesday’s Globe and Mail. January 22, 2008 at 4:21 AM EST

VANCOUVER — Border agents in B.C. have been assured by their managers that Laibar Singh, a paralyzed refugee claimant from India, will be deported at some point, says the head of the national border-guards union. “It’s not a question of if, but when it’s going to be executed,” said Ron Moran, president of the Customs and Excise Union. “That’s what they have been told.” He was referring to a conversation yesterday with one of his union leaders in British Columbia, where some officers in the removals unit of the Canada Border Services Agency have expressed frustration with the way managers are handling Mr. Singh’s case. Federal Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day, responding to union suggestions that the Singh case is causing a morale problem among border agents, congratulated officers yesterday for successfully completing 12,000 removal orders.

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Laibar Singh Safe in Sanctuary

Posted by admin on Jan 10th, 2008

 (important ways to support and UPCOMING EVENTS/ACTIONS, including cross-country are included below. Also see below for growing list of supporters.)

2181140376_6bd3b50d63.jpgAs people have likely heard by now, Mr. Laibar Singh was not deported on yesterday December 9th at 4:30 am and remains in sanctuary in Guru Nanak Sikh Temple in Surrey. The last minute notice of the deportation and the removal time of 4:30 am was a deliberate and under-handed attempt to thwart public outcry and support. At 4:00 am, approximately 300 supporters gathered to protest and bear witness to CBSA’s enforcement of a deportation in violation of sanctuary. In light of a major backlash for violating sanctuary and in the presence of hundreds of supporters, CBSA backed off from the deportation.

2181094434_6ef903eea2.jpgThe Surrey Guru Nanak Gurudwara has made clear to CBSA that Laibar Singh is in sanctuary in their premises. In having decided to enter temple premises yesterday or any date in the future, CBSA is breaching a historic moral tradition of sanctuary. Sanctuary is an act of courage that faith communities take to protect the lives of those facing deportation in light of unjust government decisions.

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Emergency- Laibar Singh Being Deported

Posted by admin on Jan 8th, 2008

Today At 4:55pm CBSA Notified Laibar Singh that he is going to be deported Wednesday, January 9th 2008 At 4:30am. Laibar Singh has been at the Surrey Guru Nanak Sikh Temple since December 15th

URGENT ACTIONS:

1. We are meeting at the Surrey Gurudwara at 4:00AM – Join us if you can. Call: 778-999-9219 /604-779-7430 For More Information.(See Below For Directions)

2. VANCOUVER SUPPORT RALLY:
Wednesday, January 9th at 3pm
Citizenship Immigration Canada
300 West Georgia Street At Hamilton

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Community Forum in Support of Laibar Singh

Posted by admin on Jan 5th, 2008

Saturday Jan 12. Doors 5:45 pm. Starts at 6 pm. Alma VanDusen Room. Vancouver Public Library. 350 West Georgia Street. FREE

The recent case of paralyzed Laibar Singh facing deportation to India has created much debate. Come hear from trade unionists, community organizations, academics, faith groups, and legal experts about why they are supporting Laibar Singh as well as broader issues of migration and race in Canada.

Speakers include:

* Zool Suleman: immigration lawyer and legal counsel for Laibar Singh. He is also the coordinator of a Stop Racial Profiling Campaign.
* Iris Taylor: Canadian Labour Congress
* Denise Nadeau: Denise has a Doctorate of Ministry, is a theologian, and Acting Director of the Interfaith Summer Institute for Justice, Peace and Social Movements at Simon Fraser University. She was part of the Interfaith Sanctuary Coalition in Montreal and has published several articles on refugees and asylum seekers from a Christian perspective.
* South Asian community organizers and media commentators Gurpreet Singh and Gurinder Dhaliwal who have been heavily involved in this campaign.
* John Price: John Price is associate professor of history at the University of Victoria and recently completed a study of Mackenzie King and the consolidation of white supremacy in Canada.
* Fred Muzin: President of Hospital Employees Union

Organized by Communities for Laibar Singh (Vancouver) For extensive Background Information http://supportlaibar.blogspot.com. Call 604 779 7430 or 778 885 0040. Email noii-van@resist.ca

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Updates and Growing Support for Laibar Singh

Posted by admin on Dec 20th, 2007

* See Below for Support Statements *

Contrary to numerous media reports that attempt to smear or misrepresent this issue since the action at the Vancouver International Airport that prevented Mr. Singh’s deportation, Mr. Laibar Singh continues to have support from diverse faith-based and non faith-based South Asian community groups. Mr. Laibar Singh was not moved three times in the past week, he was only moved once- from New Westminster to Surrey- in accordance with a decision made collectively by all those involved and taking into account factors including location, accessibility, and ease for his medical team. This move to Surrey in no way represents a diminishing support for Laibar Singh.

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