Stop Zain’s Deportation!

Tell Minister of Immigration Rachel Bendayan: Halt the removal of Zain Haq

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Dear Marc Miller,  THIS MORNING at 9:30AM the chief IRCC officer processing climate activists’, Zain and Sophia, spousal sponsorship application (UCI#1108978881) has refused the application WITHOUT SUBSTANTIVE EXPLANATION and seemingly due to a bureaucratic technicality. Zain is set for deportation on Jan 25 in a couple days!  Zain and Sophia’s lawyer, Randall Cohn, is extremely surprised and stated that this is extremely uncommon.  WE NEED YOU TO INTERVENE AND STOP ZAIN’S DEPORTATION IMMEDIATELY.   There is a strong likelihood of a miscarriage of justice. Zain and Sophia are in a legitimate relationship and marriage, and are taken aback by this completely unexpected decision.   We have to take a strong stand here and make sure that Canada does the right thing and does not let a legal technicality get in the way of stopping Zain’s deportation. I am sincerely urging you to use your lawful discretion in the best interests of justice and the public; in this case, I beg you to STOP ZAIN’S DEPORTATION.   I urge you to intervene to stop Zain’s deportation and keep Zain and Sophia TOGETHER in Canada WITHOUT DELAY, as their Spousal Sponsorship seems to have been refused due to bureaucratic technicalities rather than the spirit of the law.  You can directly reach Zain at 250-885-1873 or Zain’s lawyer Randall at 604-404-8851.   Thank you for your integrity in this matter,

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Stop Zain’s Deportation!

URGENT UPDATE: This morning (January 23rd, 2025), the chief Immigration Canada officer processing Zain and Sophie’s Spousal sponsorship application refused the application without substantive explanation. It is more urgent than ever to send a letter to Rachel Bendayan and urge her to intervene and stop Zain’s deportation immediately. LAST WEEKEND WE SENT OVER 1000 LETTERS TO THE MINISTER, LET’S FLOOD HIS EMAIL AGAIN (RESPECTFULLY AND URGENTLY!!!!)

Zain Haq came to Canada on a student visa to study at Simon Fraser University in 2019. As a student, he became involved in climate justice and was arrested several times for nonviolent civil disobedience.

In April 2024, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) found Zain to be criminally inadmissible into Canada due to his arrests as a peaceful climate activist. But after public outcry and advocacy by Zain and Sophie’s community, Minister of Immigration Rachel Bendayan stopped the deportation by granting Zain a Temporary Residence Permit (TRP).

Now, the TRP has expired and CBSA has reinstated Zain’s deportation. Zain submitted an application to extend his TRP back in October 2024, but Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) cannot locate the document in the mail. The CBSA is using the technicality of an expired TRP to reinitiate Zain’s removal from his home and family on January 25th.

Zain and his wife Sophie have been married and living together in Canada for more than 1.5 years, and have been waiting for approval of a Spousal Sponsorship since May 2023. If Zain is removed from Canada, they will both have to relocate to Pakistan.

CBSA’s decision to deport Zain is unreasonable considering the democratic intervention to stop his deportation in the past, and seeing it through would serve as a warning shot to other activists who are considering taking bold climate action.

Please send a letter to Minister of Immigration Rachel Bendayan to grant Zain a subsequent Temporary Resident Permit as soon as possible.