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November 24, 2004
The Right Honourable
Paul Martin
Prime Minister of
Canada
House of Commons,
Ottawa
ON
K1A 0A6
Dear Prime Minister,
Last week I stood
together with representatives of
Canada
’s Arab and Muslim communities and
Parliamentarians from all political parties, including my leader Jack
Layton, and witnessed your specific promise that the Canadian
government will begin to protect Palestinian refugees here in
Canada
.
Your promise appears to
have lasted one week. Last night, a stateless Palestinian refugee was
arrested and is facing deportation to the
United States
and ultimately to Ein el-Hilweh refugee
camp in south
Lebanon
.
Conditions at Ein el-Hilweh
refugee camp are deplorable. Already high unemployment rates are
increasing due to the banning of Palestinians from an increasing number of
professions within the Lebanese workforce. Poverty is rampant, and
restrictions on new constructions within the camp have resulted in
families living in unacceptably poor housing conditions.
Canada
is a signatory to the UN Convention on
the Reduction of Statelessness. For
Canada
to deport a stateless person who will be
returned to such conditions is an unacceptable violation of this
Convention, and a clear contradiction of your promise to
Canada
’s Arab and Muslim communities made just
one week ago.
I urge you to take
immediate action to ensure that a stay of removal is issued for Mr. Nafaa,
and that no further deportation orders are issued against stateless
Palestinians in
Canada
.
Sincerely,
ORIGINAL SIGNED BY
Alexa McDonough, MP
Halifax
NDP Foreign Affairs Critic |