>Date: Mon, 14 Feb 2000 19:14:24 -0800 >From: Nasim_Ali <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Status: > > >This is an emergency! > >Please quickly email Elinor Caplan if you can (see sample message at the >bottom). > >Immigration is trying to deport Leticia Cables today! > >Leticia has been ordered to appear before immigration officials in Edmonton >this morning -- February 14th, 9:30am (Edmonton time) -- to be >fingerprinted, photographed, processed, etc. so that Immigration Canada can >prepare her airplane ticket to send her back to the Philippines. > >Last week, the Federal Court refused to grant Leticia "leave" to appeal her >deportation order. She had been ordered to leave Canada last July. Leticia >sought sanctuary in an Catholic church in Edmonton. A number of individuals >and groups in Edmonton and across the country pressed for the deportation >order to be quashed. In late October, Immigration Minister Elinor Caplan >announced she would not enforce the deportation order until the courts >decided whether or not it would review the deportation order against Leticia. > >Now that the Federal Court has refused to hear Leticia's plea to be allowed >to set aside the deportation order, Leticia's only chance left to stay in >Canada is for the Immigration minister to grant her a "Ministerial Permit" >setting aside the deportation order. > >This is Leticia's story. She came to Canada in 1995 under the Live-in >Caregivers' Program (LCP). Her sister, Charito Capicio, sponsored her as >her "employer." Unfortunately, Charito's hours at work were cut down, and >Leticia had to find other work to supplement her income. > >That is her "crime!" Leticia was ordered deported because she took on extra >work: housecleaning and babysitting. > >Women who come to Canada under the LCP are only allowed to work for one >employer at a time and are required to get the Immigration Department's >approval any time they want to or have to find a new employer. This is only >one of the problems with the LCP. In its entirety, the LCP is a mechanism >to exploit women from countries in the South. > >**** > >TAKE ACTION NOW: >Fax/email Elinor Caplan calling on her to issue a Ministerial Permit and >set aside Leticia Cables' deporation order. Elinor has the power to do so! >Tell her, she has the responsibility to do so. (Leticia's File # is >4712-31783535.) The fax numbers and email addresses are posted there. > >Apparently, someone in the Immigration Minister's office has said that >Elinor Caplan will not grant Leticia a Ministerial Permit because she >doesn't want to set a precedent; Caplan knows of 11 other women in Canada >under the LCP in the same situation. According to the person at >Immigration, setting a precedent would "jeopardize the whole Live-In >Caregivers' Program." > >This is crap, Elinor! Don't let the Canadian government continue to get >away with exploiting women, exploiting women from the South. > >Even if you can't send a letter in today; send it asap. At this time, I do >not know what Leticia's plans are (that is, if she will appear before >Immigration or if she will remain in sanctuary). > >In solidarity, >Agnes Huang >DARE: Direct action Against Refugee Exploitation > >PS: If you are in Vancouver and want more information on Leticia's >situation, contact the Philippine Women Centre at (604) 215-1103 or >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Or contact Virginia Cawagas in Edmonton at (780) 492-4916 or >[EMAIL PROTECTED]; she has been mobilizing support for Leticia >(Note: Virginia will undoubtedly be extremely busy today.) > > >**** >The information below was sent by: >Toh Swee-Hin (S.H.Toh) PhD >Director, Centre for International Education & Development(CIED) & >Professor, International/Intercultural Education, Dept. of Educational >Policy Studies >University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2G5 >Ph: 1-403-492-2556 >Fax:1-403-492-0762 >email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Date: Fri, 11 Feb 2000 12:48:13 -0700 > >Hello everyone, >Here's an update on Leticia's case: >(1) Sunday, February 6, the notice of the dismissal of her leave to appeal >was transmitted to Leticia by her lawyer. >(2) Immediately Leticia went back to church sanctuary after working for >barely 30 days (the local Immigration Office gave her a tentative work >permit for 6 months since December 24). >(3) Immediately the local support group mobilized for a fax/phone campaign >to Minister Caplan requesting her to issue a Ministerial Permit to Leticia. >That was when we sent you the first update. >(4) Meanwhile, contacts in Ottawa moved to reach Minister Caplan. >(5) Yesterday, February 10, the local Immigration Office instructed >Leticia, through the support group, to report to the Immigration Office on >Monday at 9:30 so that her deportation can be arranged -- she will be >fingerprinted, her picture taken, and air ticket will be prepared. >According to the local Immigration Officer, if Leticia would not appear on >Monday, she would have "burned all the bridges" and more serious things can >happen. >(6) Meanwhile, the wider support groups have responded by sending faxes to >the Minister. > >We continue to encourage others to send faxes to the Minister as well as >others who may be able to intercede. > >We appeal to you to do the same and to advice us on any other possible >course action we can take to mobilize a bigger support group both here in >Edmonton as well as in other places. We are particularly soliciting the >assistance and solidarity of our friends in Toronto, Saskatchewan, >Vancouver, and the CUPE. > >We are attaching samples of letters which you can revise and send to the >Minister. > >Thank you to you all and we hope you will let us know what you are doing so >we can consolidate our strategies. > >Below are the names of MPs and church leaders who have been sent letters >from our group. >The Hon. Elinor Caplan >Minister of Immigration and Citizenship >Phone 613-992-0253 >Fax 613-992-0887 >Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Mr. Bernard Bigras >Bloc Quebecois Party Immigration Critic >Phone 613-992-0423 >Fax 613-992-0878 >Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Mr. Pat Martin >New Democratic Party Immigration Critic >Phone 613-992-5308 >Fax 613-992-2890 >Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Mr. Norman Doyle >Progressive Conservative Party Immigration Critic >Phone 613-996-7269 >Fax 613-992-2178 >Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Mr. Leon Benoit >Reform Party Immigration Critic >Phone 613-992-4171 >Fax 613-996-9011 >Email [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Bishop Gerald Wiesner, OMI >President, Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops >FAX: 613-241-8117 > >Rev. Bill Phipps >Moderator, The United Church of Canada >FAX: 416-231-3103 > >Below is a draft letter: > > >Dear Minister Caplan, > >I am writing to request that you grant Leticia Cables a Ministerial Permit >to remain in Canada. Her file # is 4712-31783535. > >Leticia Cables is a Filipino caregiver who has been threatened with >deportation since July 1999. She sought refuge in a church and is now in >danger of being immediately deported. > >I have been carefully following Ms. Cables' case. She did not initiate nor >intentionally seek multiple employment. She made a wrong judgment and >placed her trust in her former employer, who is a lawyer by profession, and >who assured her that such multiple employment would not cause her any >problems. > >I find it extremely disturbing and unjust that Leticia Cables, a >hardworking caregiver, is being punished with deportation for a "crime" of >working for several employers. Surely you can find it in your mind and >heart to grant Leticia a second chance to contribute productively to >Canadian society. > >I hope that you will develop a socially and economically just vision of >Canada's immigration system, and work towards ensuring that those who come >from disadvantaged backgrounds also have the opportunity to live here. The >current system is unfairly weighted to mainly benefit those who can afford >to buy citizenship here. I would like to see Canada admit more >representative and diverse applicants who reflect actual global >demographics and needs. It is shameful to be deporting honest, hardworking >people when Canada does not even meet the immigration quotas it sets for >itself. > >Thank you for your attention to this appeal. > >Sincerely, > > > > >*********************** > >"the so-called 'third world'...produces the wealth and the possibility of >the cultural self-representation of the 'first world'" (spivak) > > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
