Action!
Letters to the Minister
The following is a guide to help you write a letter of support for Abdelkader Belaouni to the Minister of Immigration, Jason Kenney. Rather than following a template, we are encouraging you to personalize your letter, highlighting issues that are central to Kader’s case as they are detailed below. Once you have written your letter, please send it to Jason Kenney at:
Constituency Office:
1168 137 Ave SE
Calgary, AB
T2J 6T6
P. 403-225-3480
F. 403-225-3504
Ottawa Office:
325 East Block
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
P. 613-992-2235
F. 613-992-1920
Email: kennej@parl.gc.ca
Please also send a copy to the Committee to Support Abdelkader Belaouni at the address given below.
(insert address here)
Montréal, QC
(insert postal code here)
or by email at soutienkader(at)gmail.com.
Your letter should ask the Minister of Immigration to Grant Permanent Residence to Kader on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
Elements to Highlight in Your Letter
Here is a list of arguments you might want to discuss in your letter:
Contribution to Canadian society: Kader has successfully integrated into Canadian and Québec society and makes a meaningful contribution through his volunteer work with such groups as Association multi-ethnique pour l’intégration des personnes handicappées, Welfare Rights and CKUT Radio 90.3 FM, where he hosts a monthly talk show, Radio Sanctuary, live from the church. The fact that this was not taken into account in the decision to refuse him for “lack of job integration” raises the issue of the under-valuation of the contributions – work – of people with disabilities and ignores the very high discrimination and other barriers they face in finding paid employment.
De facto family in Canada: Kader has close relationships with friends and neighbours from Pointe-St-Charles as well as a network throughout the city of Montreal which has shown itself more than willing and able to assure he receives support when he needs it. He has put down roots here and considers this his home. Moreover, five Canadian citizens have undertaken to sponsor him if his residency is granted, and to thus ensure that all of his needs are met.
Discriminaton and blindness: Kader has been subjected to repeated discriminatory treatment in Canada because the government has failed to take account of his blindness in their study of his applications. His disability would make it even more difficult for Kader to adjust to life in Algeria after 10 years away. It also increases the level of uncertainty and insecurity he faces in Algeria. And as the level of support for blind people in Algeria does not compare to that available in Canada, Kader’s autonomy and dignity would suffer if he were forced to return.
Too many displacements: Kader has already had to flee and re-establish his life twice already: once from Algeria during the civil war; and a second time from the United States when prejudice against Muslims and Arabs heightened during the aftermath of September 11th. It would be pointless and cruel to uproot him a third time. For someone who is blind, relocation is doubly difficult.
Fear of returning to Algeria: Kader faces total uncertainty and insecurity if deported. He is afraid to return to the country which he fled more than ten years ago during the civil war and where, today, no one can assure his security. If deported from Canada, Kader will first be sent to the U.S., where he faces a high probability of being detained until his deportation order is enforced and he is sent back to Algeria. Except for the threat of expulsion, Kader feels secure in Canada. It would be pointless and inhumane to force him back into insecurity.
Flawed immigration system: The fact that Kader has had to try so many different avenues and has still not been given status in Canada is a particularly striking illustration of the problems with Canada’s immigration system. This a case in which the Minister needs to intervene.
Donations
In order to sustain an ongoing support campaign, as well as the daily costs of living in sanctuary, the Committee to Support Abdelkader Belaouni is asking for your solidarity.
Any donation, big or small, can go a long way.
Cheques can be made out to "Solidarité sans frontieres" (please write the name as shown, in French) with "Committee to Support Abdelkader Belaouni" in the memo line.
They can be sent to:
Committee to Support Abdelkader Belaouni
c/o 2110 Centre
1455 De Maisonneuve Ouest, V-01
Montreal, QC
H3G 1M8
Please email us at soutienkader at gmail.com or call us (514-859-9023) to let us know if you've sent a contribution by mail.
Thank you for your continued support!
Stay Plugged In
The Committee in Support of Abdelkader Belaouni has set up a low-traffic email list in order to keep supporters abreast of the current situation. To join this list, contact us by email at soutienkader at gmail.com.