A Montrealer who spent part of the pandemic working in long-term care says his quest for residency is being stymied, and he could be deported within months, over a too-strict clause in Canada’s immigration laws.
Mamadou Konate’s first refugee claim, when he arrived in Canada, was rejected because he was a member of a group involved in the Ivory Coast civil war almost 20 years ago.
Canada’s Immigration Act says that anyone who participated in trying to overthrow a government cannot seek residency in Canada.
During his time in Canada, he became a worker at a long-term care home and worked through the harrowing days of the early pandemic, as well as holding other jobs.
His lawyer, Stewart Istvanffy, says he’s trying to get that decision reconsidered and waive the rule, but a judge has dismissed the request.
That means Konate’s future could come down to timing — he could be deported before a decision on whether he’ll be granted a temporary resident permit.
Konate says the clause shouldn’t be a deciding factor. It is his involvement in the war, in fact, that makes it dangerous for him to return to Ivory Coast.
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