The GSA is requesting members to send this letter to the Minister of Immigration, refugee and citizenship Marco Mendicino and Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Dear Ministers,
It has been 23 years that Celina Urbanowicz has suffered with no legal status, through no fault of her own and due to repeated procedural irregularities which has hindered her fair and equal rights. We are requesting that the government intervene and grant permanent residence to Celina. For Canada to allow an individual to live without status for so long is a violation of human rights and the convention of Geneva that Canada signed at aiming to reduce undocumentation.The government of Canada positions itself as a defender of human rights and a diverse inclusive country. Human rights are in place to guarantee full protection to life, gender equity and to protect vulnerable people against violence,discrimination and beyond. Celina would face targeted violence,threats of death and human right violations based on her ethnicity,religion,political opinion and beyond as well as pervasive racism and discrimination in various spheres.
Several members of your government including the deputy prime minister Chrystia Freeland have recognized the historic Romani genocide carried out by the Nazi regime, and the continued persecution that the Roma community and especially Roma woman still face all across the globe.The deputy PM has made a commitment to prevent such atrocities from happening. With the rise of white supremacy across the world, it is imperative to provide legal status to Celina.
There is no doubt that Celina will face life threatening danger and irreparable harm if her wrongful deportation takes place. This is in part due to her openly pro LGBTQ+ stance and among other factors. In Poland, the leader of her Romani community, known as the “Gypsy King” Nudziu Kozlowski, is fervently opposed to LGBTQ acceptance, and has already issued a declaration that he would take steps to discipline Celina and her family, and are facing ostracization from her community, in addition to the racism Romani peoples face in Poland and Eastern Europe in general. Recently the Migrant Alliance Network made calls to bring justice to all migrants in Canada by providing permanent residence upon arrival, especially for refugees who have been living in the country for decades without any protection from the state. Celina’s partner has already been separated and deported, once again through no fault of his own and through procedural irregularities which were not rectified. In keeping with the UN Declaration of Human Rights, it is essential to not separate families. Already the father of Celina’s children has been deported, it is essential that she too should not also be deported, separating the family into three different countries. Canada prides itself on being a multicultural, welcoming country; Celina has suffered in silence for the last two decades. Now is the time to break that silence. I urge you to consider this and intervene in this case to ensure that justice is delivered