Published On Wed Jul 27 2011, Toronto Star

The family of one of 30 alleged war criminals on Ottawa’s wanted list is threatening a defamation suit against the Canada Border Services Agency, following what his lawyer calls false allegations that “won’t stand up in court.” Khalil Abdul Khalil – a 76-year-old Afghan national last known to be living in Toronto – was named by Ottawa last week as an alleged war criminal subject to a warrant for removal. His was just one of almost three dozen suspects’ names and photographs posted on the CBSA website in the hopes that the public would help track them down. According to the CBSA, Khalil has “violated human or international rights under the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act.” The agency also says these suspects are believed to be living in Canada illegally. But the lawyer retained by the man’s family says the depiction of Khalil as a dangerous, violent criminal is “false,” and diminishes the reputation of the man in the community. Unless the CBSA retracts the information on its website and issues an apology, the family will take legal action.

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Tom Godfrey and Rob Lamberti, Toronto Sun. Tuesday, July 26, 2011

TORONTO – New York pastor Francisco Manuel Hernandez Hernandez says he is not a wanted war criminal from El Salvador and is hoping to clear his name. Hernandez Hernandez, 42, said he has family members in Toronto and doesn’t want to be flagged by border agents during his visits to Canada. He was in shock to see his mugshot among those of 30 suspected war criminals who are on the lam from the Canada Border Services Agency. The men are believed to be hiding in Canada to avoid deportation, officials said.

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CBC News Posted: Jul 23, 2011 8:45 AM ET

A Quebec immigration lawyer is criticizing the Canadian government’s recent release of photos of 30 suspected war criminals. The photographs are displayed on a government website along with the last known places of residence of each of the 30 people. Lawyer Dan Bohbot said it undermines the idea that people in Canada are presumed innocent until proven guilty. He said the federal Immigration Act shouldn’t allow individuals to be labeled without being charged. “It’s a problem because it means that really the Immigration Act makes it very easy for the government to label individuals and make them inadmissible in Canada. So really, you have a situation where a lot of people are found inadmissible or excluded from defintion of refugees,” said Bohbot.

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Kenyon Wallace, Toronto Star, Jun. 9 2011

Since arriving in Canada from South Korea eight years ago, the Maengs have been model residents — they have built a successful business, are putting their kids through school and are paying their taxes. But all their hard work may have been for naught.

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Canadian Press, Jun. 9 2011

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney will rescind a deportation order for a South Korean family at the centre of a growing public protest in New Brunswick now that the province has confirmed it will cover health costs associated with the family’s autistic son, a federal source confirmed Thursday. The Maeng family’s story attracted national attention because federal officials had said the family had to leave Canada by June 30 because providing health care and social services for 14-year-old Sung-Joo would put too much strain on the system.

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