A Montreal woman who is currently undertaking chemotherapy for stage 3 ovarian cancer is facing deportation to Mexico TOMMORROW, December 10th. A request to allow for a stay of deportation will be heard this afternoon in the Federal Court (see full press release below). We need your help: please take a moment to act NOW!
1) WRITE to Chris Alexander (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) and Steven Blaney (Minister of Public Security, responsible for the Canada Border Services Agency) and ask that they grant Evelia Castrejon Santoyo a stay of deportation. (Please cc Solidarity Across Borders on your e-mail correspondence)
– Chris Alexander: Minister@cic.gc.ca
– Steven Blaney: steven.blaney@parl.gc.ca or visithttps://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/abt/min-eng.aspx
– Solidarity Across Borders: solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com
2) TELEPHONE and leave messages for Immigration Minister Chris Alexander in Ottawa at 613 954-1064 and Minister of Public Security Steven Blaney at 613-944-4875.
SAMPLE LETTER:
Honorable Chris Alexander (minister@cic.gc.ca)
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Ottawa (Ontario)
K1A 0A6
Honorable Steven Blaney (steven.blaney@parl.gc.ca)
Minister of Public Security, responsible for the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)
Ottawa (Ontario)
K1A 0A6
Montreal, [add date]
Subject: Concerning the stay of removal of Evelia Castrejon Santoyo
Dear Ministers,
My name is [your name] and I am [your organization or affiliation, if applicable]. I am writing to oppose the deportation of Evelia Castrejon Santoyo. I ask that she be able to finish her cancer treatments peacefully, with her loved ones here in Montreal.
I’m writing in support of Evelia Castrejon Santoyo, who has faced ongoing forms of gendered violence and now is facing removal despite her life-threatening medical situation. Mrs. Castrejon Santoyo is in the middle of intensive chemotherapy. Her doctor has advised that if her treatment is interrupted, she will have less than 6 months to live. Removing Mrs. Castrejon Santoyo to Mexico will put her life in danger, severing her from her community and leaving her without a place to live or a means to survive.
Mrs. Castrejon Santoyo arrived in Montreal in 2007, fleeing gang violence in Mexico. After seeking asylum with her family in Montreal, she became involved in a relationship that became abusive and resulted in a nearly fatal attack. Mrs. Castrejon Santoyo has courageously faced one form of violence upon another in seeking justice and opportunity for herself and her family. I urge you to use your discretionnary powers and grant her a stay of deportation until the end of her cancer treatments.
We urge you to intervene and regularize Evelia Castrejon Santoyo’s migratory status and allow her to remain in Canada on humanitarian grounds.
Sincerely,
[your name]
PRESS RELEASE: Montrealer Undergoing Chemotherapy Treatments Fights her Deportation Scheduled for TOMORROW, December 10th
A Montreal woman who is currently undertaking chemotherapy for stage 3 ovarian cancer is facing deportation to Mexico tomorrow, December 10, on International Human Rights Day. A request to allow for a stay of deportation will be heard this afternoon in the Federal Court.
Evelia Castrejon Santoyo, 47, a migrant from Mexico who has lived in Montreal for more than five years, has recently learned that the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is insisting on deporting her, despite her life-threatening medical situation. She had chemotherapy this past Monday, December 2nd, and needs to receive more doses in the coming weeks.
In a letter written on October 30th, 2013, her attending physician, Suzanne Fortin, onco-gynecologist at the Maisonneuve-Rosemont Hospital, said: “In the case of the patient’s deportation, I fear that she will not be able to receive the care [she needs] and that all efforts to save this human life be in vain.”
In Mrs. Castrejon Santoyo’s words: “I’m afraid that I’ll die if they deport me to Mexico. Contrary to what CBSA claims, my treatment will be delayed, which will put my life in danger. I have absolutely nothing there, no job, no place to live, not even a cent to pay for food. I need to finish my treatment here without concern and surrounded by my loved ones who take care of me.”
Marjolaine Boutin-Sweet, MP for Hochelaga, and Amir Khadir, MNA for Mercier, are among those publicly supporting Mrs. Castrejon Santoyo. “I call on the Minister of Immigration to show empathy and humanity”, says Mr Khadir.
According to Romina Hernandez, from Carrefour d’aide aux nouveaux arrivants: “We demand that the Minister of Immigration Chris Alexander, the Minister of Public Security Steven Blaney, and the Federal Court intervene to regularize Mrs. Evelia Castrejon Santoyo’s migratory status and allow her to stay in Canada on humanitarian grounds. We also demand that the Ministry of Immigration of Quebec, Diane de Courcy, puts pressure on the federal government to allow her to remain here.”
In a case similar to this situation, Mrs. Ouacila Djemai, originally from Algeria, was given a stay of deportation on November 21, 2013, to finish her cancer treatments here in Montreal. More about Mrs. Djemai’s situation: http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/politique/politique-canadienne/201311/21/01-4713237-la-cour-federale-accorde-un-sursis-a-une-femme-atteinte-dun-cancer.php
According to Anne-Marie Gallant of Solidarity Across Borders: “Mrs. Castrejon Santoyo has courageously faced one form of violence upon another in seeking justice and opportunity for herself and her family. Interrupting medical treatment constitutes yet another form of violence on her, this time by the CBSA.”
– 30 –
Solidarité Sans Frontières
solidaritesansfrontieres@gmail.com
www.solidarityacrossborders.org
MEDIA COVERAGE:
CTV News: Patient ordered to leave Canada by Tuesday http://montreal.ctvnews.ca/cancer-patient-ordered-to-leave-canada-by-tuesday-1.1577971
Le Devoir: Une femme en chimiothérapie est menacée d’expulsion http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/actualites-en-societe/394651/une-femme-en-chimiotherapie-est-menacee-d-expulsion
CBC: Une montréalaise atteinte de cancer fait face à la déportation http://www.rcinet.ca/fr/2013/12/06/une-montrealaise-atteinte-de-cancer-fait-face-a-la-deportation/
Journal Metro: Une deuxième femme atteinte du cancer fait face à la déportation http://journalmetro.com/actualites/montreal/415696/une-deuxieme-femme-atteinte-du-cancer-fait-face-a-la-deportation/
Atlas Mtl: Une Montréalaise en traitement de chimiothérapie dénonce sa déportation prevue le 10 décembre prochain http://www.atlasmedias.com/2013/12/une-montrealaise-en-traitement-de-chimiotherapie-denonce-sa-deportation-prevue-le-10-decembre-prochain/
CJAD News: Mexican woman with cancer fighting upcoming deportation http://www.cjad.com/cjad-news/2013/12/06/mexican-woman-with-cancer-fighting-upcoming-deportation
CKUT: Women resist gender violence http://ckut.ca/c/en/node/638
Rouge fm: Une femme atteinte d’un cancer déportée vers le Mexique
http://montreal.rougefm.ca/BlogueInfoRougefm-BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10621532
NJR Montréal: Une femme atteinte d’un cancer déportée vers le Mexique http://shar.es/DRxJI
Bell Média: https://soundcloud.com/info-nrj-rouge-boom/la-r-action-danne-marie
Noticias Montreal: Mexicana que padece cancer tiene fecha de deportación para este 10 de diciembre http://noticiasmontreal.com/117634/mexicana-que-padece-cancer-tiene-fecha-de-deportacion-para-este-10-de-diciembre/
Proceso Mexico: Enferma de cáncer que huyó de la violencia en México, enfrenta deportación en Canadá http://www.proceso.com.mx/?p=359956
El Diario Nacional: Ordenan deportar a mexicana con cáncer; huyó por violencia http://diario.mx/Nacional/2013-12-08_4c17b8c8/ordenan-deportar-a-mexicana-con-cancer-huyo-por-violencia/