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| Deportation
of Wendy Maxwell - March 14 2005 |
http://supportwendy.com
http://ocap.ca/wendy
http://www.geocities.com/wendypme/
Monday 14th of March - At 9am this morning, Wendy Maxwell Edwards was
escorted on board a flight to Costa Rica, the country she fled nearly a
decade ago.
Authorities refused to disclose flight details, keeping Wendy, her counsel
and friends in the dark until the last moment. Although several
close friends were able to visit with Wendy last night at Vanier Centre
for Women, her lawyer and friends were unable to see her off this morning
from Toronto's Pearson Airport. However, Wendy was able to place a
brief call out from the airplane to her lawyer. A vigil took place
at Pearson Airport, at which friends and supporters read Wendy's poetry
and spoke out, leafleting passengers and standing together in this
difficult time.
The situation upon arrival in Costa Rica will be monitored closely by
counsel and supporters here in Canada.
Immigration Canada has stated that ONE MONTH OR SO is all that is needed
to examine Wendy's Application for Landing on Humanitarian and
Compassionate Grounds. This Application continues to be processed
despite deportation. Thus, it is critical to stay tuned for details
around the fight to bring Wendy Maxwell back to Canada.
As Wendy herself said in a parting testimony given from prison, "You
guys just concentrate on getting me back. Wherever my heart is, is where I
call home. Please guys, bring me back home, I will not be able to do this
alone. "
A brilliant and passionate artist and community organizer, Wendy has
expressed her deepest love and respect to friends, supporters, and
community members who rallied to stop her deportation. Her fight is
that of thousands of non-status people living in Canada. Her deportation,
as is true of the daily deportations of non-status women, children and men
from Canada, is an state-authorized act we cannot forget nor accept.
The struggle to bring Wendy Maxwell Edwards back to Canada, and the
struggle for status for all, will continue. Please stay in touch for
further updates and information.
FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS:
To make a donation re. Wendy Maxwell Edwards, please contact: nooneisillegal@riseup.net
www.supporwendy.com
The Wendy Maxwell Support Committee
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Solidarity Across Borders Demands Justice for Wendy Maxwell
Montreal - March 14, 2005
This morning at 10:30am, seven members from the Montreal-area migrant
justice coalition, Solidarity Across Borders (SAB), paid a visit to the
Immigration Canada offices downtown.
The aim of the visit was to hand-deliver a letter to a representative of
the immigration minister, Joe Volpe, on behalf of Wendy Maxwell.
Wendy is a Costa Rican refugee of Jamaican descent. She had been in Canada
for seven years before she was arrested recently by Toronto police
officers at an International Women's Day event at Ryerson university. She
is due to be deported on Monday morning, and could be on a plane bound for
Costa Rica by the time this report is read.
The letter which the SAB members delivered stressed the urgency of the
matter, knowing that Wendy was to be deported.
The group entered the immigration offices and proceeded to the second
floor of the building. There, they approached a security guard and
demanded to speak with a representative of the Immigration Minister. The
security guard refused, and instead pointed to a kiosk with some phones on
tables. He instructed the group to pick up the phones and speak to whoever
picked up the line.
A few from the group attempted this, only to be frustrated by Immigration
Canada's hotline system which only patched them through to an
unsympathetic phone operator in Ottawa. Those on the phone again stressed
that Wendy was to be deported within a matter of hours and that they
needed to speak with someone “in charge”, and they were told
nonchalantly to fax a letter with their concerns.
Again, the group tried negotiating with the security guards to speak with
someone. SAB was told numerous times that there was simply no one there
they could speak with. The guard explained that all concerns would have to
be sent to Ottawa.
Finally, the group left the letter with the security, demanding that it be
hand-delivered to an immigration authority as soon as possible. The guard
made no guarantees, and put the letter in the internal mail pile.
This kind of beauraucracy is typical of Immigration Canada. When people's
lives are at stake, they are told to call a hotline or fax a letter to
someone who might never read it. Wendy Maxwell will soon be deported to a
country she had to flee, where her life could be in danger, and there
isn't a soul in Immigration Canada who cares.
--For more background information on Wendy's case, visit www.ocap.ca/wendy
www.ocap.ca/wendy
Ontario Coalition Against Poverty, Justice for Wendy campaign
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***PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY**
VIGIL IN SUPPORT OF WENDY MAXWELL AT PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Monday March 14th
Meet at 7:30am at the Kipling Subway station, near the ticket collector.
If you can offer rides to people, meet at the Kiss'N'Ride at Kipling
Station.
We'll be proceeding to the Pearson International Airport via the express
bus (Airport Rocket 196).
Meeting point at the Airport at 9am, location TBA.
On Friday March 11th Wendy's federal court hearing to stay her deportation
ended with a negative decision and despite a widespread support
campaign, Joe Volpe has yet to speak on Wendy's case.
Unless Volpe
decides to intervene and grant Wendy Maxwell status on
humanitarian
grounds, we have agreed to give Wendy the respectful, dignified send-off
that she deserves on Monday morning.
Join Wendy's friends, family, and the many community members who have come
together in Wendy's defense for a candle-lit vigil in Wendy's honour.
Artists and poets are also encouraged to come out and we will hear a
reading of some of Nzinga's poetry.
The vigil will be followed by a support and organizing meeting at 6pm on
Monday March 14, on the 2nd floor of Jorgenson Hall (across from the
cafeteria) at Ryerson University.
In the meantime, keep up the fight. Continue to make phone calls and
write letters of support to minister volpe. To send a letter or make a
phone call to the minister go to www.supportwendy.com for more
information.
For more information or to make a donation contact the Wendy Maxwell
Support Committee:
nooneisillegal@riseup.net
www.supportwendy.com |
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