CTV.ca | U.S. war resister faces deportation Christmas Eve
TORONTO -- The War Resisters Support Campaign says Citizenship and Immigration Canada has told a U.S. war resister living in Nanaimo, B.C., that he must leave Canada by Dec. 24, or face removal by force.
Cliff Cornell, originally from Arkansas, arrived in Canada in January 2005. Cornell currently works as an assistant manager of a retail store near Nanaimo.
Cornell's deportation order comes after similar orders for war resisters Corey Glass, Jeremy Hinzman and his family, Patrick Hart and his family, Matt Lowell and Dean Walcott.
The group says in a release that another war resister, Kim Rivera, will receive a decision on Jan. 7.
Rivera served with the U.S. Army in Iraq and came to Canada with her husband, Mario, and their two children in early 2007.
The War Resisters Support Campaign said it is calling on the federal government to implement a motion adopted by Parliament on June 3, 2008.
The motion recommended that "conscientious objectors to wars not sanctioned by the Security Council of the United Nations" be allowed to remain in Canada and apply for permanent resident status.
It was adopted by a vote of 137-110 and also directed the government to stop deportation proceedings against war resisters living in Canada.
The Federal Court is to hear an appeal by Jeremy Hinzman against his deportation order on Feb. 10, 2009.
"Minister Jason Kenney should stop all deportations, at least until the Federal Court has completed the Hinzman appeal," said Lee Zaslofsky, Co-ordinator of the War Resisters Support Campaign. "It would be a travesty if war resisters were deported, especially over the holidays, only to have the court find that they should be given another chance to apply to stay in Canada."
makes sense to me.