Mr. Ghahremani received notice on Wednesday May 30 that Immigration Canada will temporarily defer his deportation pending a review of his file and upon receipt of updated information on increased risk Mr. Ghahremani faces if he is deported to Iran.

Over the past few days, over one thousand people have signed petitions in support of Mr. Ghahremani and supporters had maintained a 24-hour camp-out outside Citizenship and Immigration offices for 72 hours. It is clear that the public support and outcry played a major factor in rendering this decision and highlights the importance for us to continue struggling against unjust deportations and detentions that perpetuate pain, anxiety, and violence in the lives of our community members.

It is important to note that this is a temporary deferral, which means it is possible that Mr. Ghahramani will soon be facing deportation again. Therefore we must not allow Immigration authorities to presume that our public support for Mr. Ghahramani has dwindled. We will continue to support Mr. Ghahramani until his struggle for the right to remain in Canada is won.

As with so many other refugees, Mr. Ghahramani’s struggle is a reflection of the structurally flawed refugee system and the denial of people’s ability to migrate in order to live and flourish with justice and dignity. We will continue to work and fight every inhumane and arbitrary detention and deportation and hope you will join us! Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support within this collective struggle for migrant justice.

In solidarity, No One is Illegal Vancouver