MONTREAL -- After 16 years of fighting, Nathalie Morin's mother is not giving up: she is asking the leaders of the federal parties to commit to repatriating her daughter and her four grandchildren, who have been trapped in Saudi Arabia since 2005.
Johanne Durocher still has hope in her heart to see her family again, but it's "getting tired," she said in an interview with The Canadian Press.
This is why she's asking party leaders to commit to doing everything possible to bring them back home.
Political action is necessary, she insisted.
On Wednesday morning, Durocher invited journalists and members of the various federal parties to highlight the story of her daughter Nathalie and the ordeal she has been going through for 16 years.
"This Canadian citizen has wanted to leave Saudi Arabia since 2005. But she does not want to return to Canada without her children, for fear of never seeing them again. They can't fly with her because they are subject to a travel ban by the Saudi government," said Durocher.
So Canada has to negotiate with Saudi Arabia to lift the travel ban.
"She can't wait any longer. She has had to fight on numerous occasions to get her daughter and the children medical care, to get the children to go to school, to get them food, and also to get her daughter her residency permit, without which she could not leave Saudi Arabia either," said Durocher.
Leaders must commit to action now, she said.
"It's time to put aside partisanship and any other considerations that are holding this issue back. This is too important! We are talking about five people who are trapped in a country that is not theirs and who have been asking to leave for a very long time. We must take all the necessary steps to allow them to return to Canada," implores Durocher.
--This report was first published in French by The Canadian Press on Sept. 8, 2021.
