Edmonton mom facing deportation makes impassioned plea for her and her daughter to stay in Canada – Edmonton

A mother and daughter from Edmonton facing impending deportation are desperate to stay in Canada.

Vangie Cayanan came to Canada as a temporary foreign worker in 2010, but she accused her employer of abusing her and when she reported it, she was let go.

The following year, she moved to Edmonton, where she continued to work.

In 2015, while in Canada, Cayanan had a baby girl named McKenna. It was the same year Cayanan became an undocumented immigrant.

Recently, her attorney said the Canada Border Services Agency began to crack down on undocumented workers and deport them.

Family friend Whitney Haynes said the government was unfair to the Cayana people.

“She came here legally, under the temporary foreign worker program,” says Haynes. “She was abused by her employer, abused by a system of multiple abuses – sending people back to their home countries just to attract a bunch of new people to the same jobs.”

Cayanan was told she and her daughter would have to leave the country and arrive in the Philippines on May 11.

Following an emergency extension allowing McKenna to finish her school year in Canada, a new deportation date has been scheduled for July 11.

“I ask for all the support to stay here because McKenna belongs here, I belong here, we belong here. This is our home,” Cayanan said.

Recently, Cayanan said her 6-year-old daughter was diagnosed with ADHD and Opposition Resistance Disorder.

In Canada, McKenna is receiving support at school and is receiving medication for her illness, something Cayanan says won’t happen in the Philippines.

“In a poor learning environment, without enough resources, I didn’t know it was possible to meet those special needs,” agrees Susan Otto, registered social worker.

In addition, they added that McKenna only spoke and understood English.

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Supporters also say that Cayanan has proven himself to be a valued member of the community.

Despite her status, in 2017 she campaigned for migrant children to have basic rights – and won.

Clarizze Truscott, vice president of Migrante Canada, explains: “Every child born in Canada has access to healthcare now because of her job.

Cayanan has also helped deliver packages to the undocumented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Her tireless community work earned her a human rights award from the John Humphrey Center for Peace and Human Rights. This is not just given to anyone,” Truscott said.

Her lawyer, Manraj Sidhu, explains: “We should try to keep these kinds of wonderful people in our communities, because these are people who make a positive contribution to the community.

He is appealing the deportation order on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. But that process could take three years.

“I don’t want to beg, I just want to fight for her rights. McKenna deserves everything, just like the other kids in Canada,” explains Cayanan.

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In the meantime, Canadian Immigrants make a petition allowed the family to stay, hoping to present it to the federal immigration minister.

The petition has more than 2,100 signatures.

“No worker can feel like this. No human being could feel like this. Haynes said.

“Obviously there’s a very real need for workers here, it’s all over the media. I don’t understand why we expanded the temporary foreign worker program when we can only let the workers here stay here, that has developed a strong sense of community here. ”

Migrante said there are now more than half a million undocumented people in Canada.