Canada Calling - Solidarity March with Montreal's Algerians, 'Sans Papier'

The Struggle For Justice Continues

Saturday, January 25th @ 1pm

Gathering Point:

Citizenship & Immigration Canada

1010 St-Antoine West

Montreal

* (metro Bonaventure)

We will march through downtown Montreal to the Complexe Guy-Favreau

As the end of a three month stay on deportations draws to an end -- many non-status Algerians who have lived in Montreal for an average of four years -- risk being deported to Algeria. In spite of "joint procedures" for accepting certain "non-status" Algerians put into place by Citizenship and Immigration Canada and Quebec Immigration at the end of October, 2002, many non-status will face removal to a country where an ongoing civil conflict has taken more than 150,000 lives.

Even one deportation is too many!

We call on all residents of Montreal to demonstrate their solidarity with non-status Algerians, and with all immigrants and refugees.

This is a child- and family-friendly march. Bring your banners, placards and noisemakers.

Organized by the *Action Committee for Algerians, 'Sans Papiers' , in collaboration with the No One Is Illegal Campaign of Montreal.

If you can't be there on the day, you can still show your solidarity in two ways.

If your group or organization would like to endorse this demonstration, please email endorsements to nooneisillegal@tao.ca

Sign our online petition:
http://www.tao.ca/~sans-statut/petition.shtml

For more information:
nooneisillegal@tao.ca

+ 01 514-409-2049

http://www.tao.ca/~sans-statut

------------------------------------

Update & Background:

On January 30th 2003, a three-month stay of deportations of non-status Algerians from Canada will come to an end. The stay was won after Mourad Bourouisa, Yakout Seddiki and their two year old son Ahmed took refuge in the First Union United Church for 11 days last October, defying the deportation order issued by Immigration Canada. On October 30th, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and Quebec Immigration (MRCI) issued a "joint solution" in response to the Stop the Deportations campaign, which suspended all deportations for three months and allows people to apply for Immigration status within Quebec.

The campaign to Stop the Deportations of non-status Algerians was initiated by the Action Committee for Non-Status Algerians, after the moratorium on deportations to Algeria was lifted by CIC on April 5, 2002. The Stop the Deportations Campaign has been centered around three demands: an end to the deportations; the reinstatement of the moratorium on removals to Algeria, and the complete regularization of all non-status Algerians. A fourth demand has recently been added: the return of the 32 non-status Algerians deported since the lifting of the moratorium.

The "joint solution" issued by Immigration Canada and Quebec Immigration (MRCI) does not meet these demands. Moreover, the "joint solution" issued on October 30th does not resolve or even address the reality that non-status Algerians face a violent future if they are deported to

Algeria. They will be forced to return to a war-torn country where massacres take place on a regular basis, and where many face the possibility of death and torture.

During the three-month stay, non-status Algerians whose refugee claims have been rejected by Immigration Canada have been given the opportunity to submit claims for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Those non-status Algerians living in Quebec at the time that the moratorium on deportations to Algeria was lifted have been allowed to make applications for selection as landed immigrants by Quebec Immigration, and to do so without leaving the province.

It is worth noting that many non-status Algerians are unable to pay for their entire family's application for permanent residency on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. The application costs $550.00 per adult and an additional $150.00 for each dependent child.

This "solution" presented by Immigration Quebec and Immigration Canada does not satisfactorily resolve the crisis. Remy Trudel, Quebec Minister of Relations with Citizens and Immigration, has himself stated that not more than 300 non-status Algerians will be accepted as immigrants according to the joint procedures. That will leave approximately 700 more non-status Algerian refugees facing the possibility of deportation back to Algeria after January 30th.

As January 30th approaches, the Action Committee for Non-Status Algerians is calling for support and solidarity from the Montreal community to fight the impending deportations. The Action Committee for Non-Status Algerians and its supporters will continue the struggle against the deportation of non-status Algerian refugees until all non-status Algerians in Canada are regularized and the deportations cease.

Stop the Attacks on Immigrant & Refugees!

Solidarity with Canada's Non-Status Algerians!

Stop the Deportations!

http://www.tao.ca/~sans-statut

=================

*Comité d'action des sans-statut algériens (The Action Committee for Non-Status Algerians) has existed for over a year, and has recently initiated a campaign to raise awareness about their situation, and to organize an effective political and legal response.

As many of you might already know, approximately 1000 Algerians living in Canada are currently facing imminent deportation as a result of changes to federal government policy this past April 2002. These residents -- many of whom have lived, studied and worked in Canada for several years, and whose children were born here -- now live in fear of being returned to a country they fled due to a violent civil conflict that has taken at least 150,000 lives. (Learn more about the situation in Algeria from our Research and Reports)

According to the most recent information from Immigration Canada, at least 23 people have already been deported. Hundreds more will be deported in the coming days, weeks and months.

Fortunately, members of Montreal's Algerian community have mobilized, with their allies, to try to change the government's policy, and to end the inhumane deportations to Algeria.

The campaign is organized around three main demands:

1. An immediate end to all deportations.

2. A return to the moratorium on removals to Algeria.

3. The regularization of non-status Algerian residents in Canada.

The time to act is now! The deportations have already begun, and many more individuals and families will be forcibly removed to Algeria if we do not collectively organize an effective response.

Source for this page:
*Action Committee for Algerians, 'Sans Papiers'