Deportation date set for Mamadou Konate, COVID-19 CHSLD janitor: supporters
Mamadou Konaté, a CHSLD janitor from Ivory Coast who has fought deportation from Canada for months, will have to leave the country by the end of September.
That's according to a collective of activists and politicians mobilizing around Konate.
His experience, they say, is "like that of thousands of people living in similar situations."
Konaté worked in several Montreal nursing homes during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as part of a workforce then-Premier François Legault called "angels" at the time.
The Quebec government promised to fast-track asylum for those working on the front lines during the pandemic, but only nurses and orderlies qualified.
Konaté has been in Canada since 2016, fighting a deportation order over fears his life could be in danger if he returns to Ivory Coast.
"We write with rage and sadness; we never wanted to get to this point," wrote the support coalition in a Thursday press release. "Despite all of the mobilizing, despite all of Mamadou's efforts to expose the injustice of his situation, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has decided that Mamadou Konaté will be deported on Sept. 30."
According to the group, Konaté's application for regularization was blocked because of Canada's immigration law, which, because of his involvement in Ivory Coast conflicts, renders him inadmissible.
They say he was living in a village occupied by rebel forces during the 1999 coup d’état and became a de-facto member. He was 19 at the time.
However, they say he was never involved in violence. Instead, he was a cleaner.
Section 34 1.B of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act says permanent residents and foreign nationals are inadmissible on security grounds if they engaged in or instigated the subversion by force of any government.
His supporters say the law "fails to take into account geopolitical contexts."
"People like Mamadou are denied status because they have had the misfortune to live in countries torn apart by armed conflicts," they argue.
He was working at a long-term care home in September 2020 when he was detained at the Immigration Holding Centre in Laval.
Konaté was eventually released by a federal court but has remained under threat of deportation ever since.
The group says Konaté plans to file an emergency application to the federal court for a stay of deportation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
What to know about avian influenza in dairy cows and the risk to humans
Why is H5N1, or bird flu, a concern, how does it spread, and is there a vaccine? Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about avian influenza.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
$70M Lotto Max winners kept prize a secret from family for 2 months
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Courteney Cox says her partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in therapy
Courteney Cox's longtime partner Johnny McDaid once broke up with her in a therapy session.
Are Canadians getting sick from expired food?
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Body of Quebec man who died in Cuba found in Russia, family confirms
A Montreal-area family confirmed to CTV News that the body of their loved one who died while on vacation in Cuba is being repatriated to Canada after it was mistakenly sent to Russia.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.