Victoria & Ihuoma must not be deported!

How long will this continue? These young Nigerian students in Canada are faced with deportation over ‘flimsy excuse’ given by the authorities.

Victoria Ordu (20) and Ihuoma Amadi (21) are students of University of Regina, Canada.  They are both in Canada on full scholarships paid for by the Nigerian government but it seems they are being abandoned as they have reportedly been seeking sanctuary inside a church since June 19, 2012 for fear of being deported back home to Nigeria because they worked for two weeks at Walmart.

Their student visas do allow them to work, but only on campus. Unknown to them, they worked for two weeks at a Walmart store but stopped as soon as they learned of the rules.

Victoria quit after two weeks, as soon as she found out while Ihuoma discovered her mistake during her second week on the job — and was led away from her till in handcuffs by two Canada Border Services Agency agents.

“They led me through the store, in front of everyone, and all the customers were looking at me like ‘What have you done?” she told Leader Post. “I just felt so embarrassed.”

They said they have been seeking sanctuary in the church for days, sometimes not going out at all or eating. “At times, we stay for days without eating because we don’t go outside,” Ihuoma said at the church where they sleep on the floor.

 “This is a small mistake we made, and now everything is at risk,” Victoria told Leader Post, clasping her shaking hands in her lap. “It doesn’t make any sense. They’re looking for us like we’ve killed someone. We’re just students at university … but it’s like we’re running away and living in fear every day.”

The girls said they have written letters to the Federal Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to grant them pardons. However, in a later report by The Star Phoenix, their hopes were dashed when it was stated that the Immigration Minister does not hold the power to pardon the students who are seeking sanctuary in a church to avoid deportation.

To make matters worse, the Canada Border Services Agency recently released a statement that the girls have no right to sanctuary. The Agency’s spokeswoman Lisa White explained that “There’s no place in Canada where an individual can retreat and be immune from Canadian law.” She further stated that the Agency does not condone “any individual hiding in churches or other places of worship to avoid removal from Canada.”

Meanwhile, the girls have continued to gather support from fellow students, the University authorities and a Regina immigration consultant, Kay Adebogun who has taken on their case pro bono.

The University spokeswoman, Barb Pollock told Leader Post that while the school respects the fact laws have to be upheld, it is trying to advocate for a reconsideration of the girls’ case.

“We think that the penalty, perhaps, is a bit severe for the crime. Albeit that laws have been contravened, in light of what they have done to contravene the law, we would like them to have an opportunity to complete their education with us … (and) we think it is a harsh penalty to be deported,” she said

 “It’s a huge deal to finish school, come back (to Nigeria) and help the country,” Victoria says. “Now to think we lose three years of our lives because of a small mistake? If there was a fine, a warning, that would be more reasonable. I just wish they could look at this from a human point of view.”