A nonstatus low-income father of three died the first week of January 2014. He lived in the Lower Mainland for over twenty years, but deemed ‘illegal’ and without a work permit he was forced to work in the street economy. His three children were born in Canada, and are working and attending university. A few years ago he was diagnosed with a chronic health condition for which he received emergency healthcare, but was prevented from accessing full treatment due to his lack of legal status.

Last year, with the Tory government’s implementation of the drastic Interim Federal Health cuts to refugee healthcare, he faced even greater life-threatening risk. In the words of his daughter, who predicted that “Bill C-31 will kill my father.” No One Is Illegal organized and fought alongside him and his family and he won temporary status which reinstated medical treatment, but it was too late as his health had already deteriorated drastically. He passed away on January 8, 2014 and his service was held on January 25, 2014.