DOWNLOAD A PDF OF UA 115/21, UPDATE 1 BELOW
Mamadou Konaté is an immigrant worker from Ivory Coast who has lived in Canada for six years who was at imminent risk of deportation on 19 November. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he worked in facilities accompanying vulnerable seniors. He contracted COVID-19 in the workplace. In 2020, the federal and Quebec governments launched programs to give permanent residency to refugee claimants who worked in healthcare services during COVID-19. The programmes are discriminatory against certain healthcare worker roles such as janitorial positions, like Mamadou Konaté. The government threatened to deport him on 19 November, but on 17 November a judge announced his deportation was suspended.
NO FURTHER ACTION IS REQUESTED. MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO SENT APPEALS.
A Canadian judge suspended Mamadou’s deportation on 17 November 2021. His asylum case will continue to be processed, and there is still risk that he will be deported at a later date. For the moment, we are celebrating that the deportation was suspended. Mamadou was prepared for the worst; his bags were already packed, and he was ready to leave. The judge issued a stay of deportation until the end of Mamdou’s legal proceedings in federal court. They are also pursuing an evaluation under section 42.1 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to lift his inadmissibility in Canada.
Amnesty’s Urgent Action Network contributed massively to put pressure on the Canadian government, it would not have happened without coordinated global pressure, and we are hopeful it will continue to have an impact. Mamadou is still at risk of being deported but we will continue working with him and the many other Canadian groups supporting his case until he obtains his permanent residency in Canada. Mamadou is very thankful for and moved by Amnesty’s support, he said “mille mercis à vous” (many thanks to you).
