Family Separation is Unacceptable!
Betty Kalule Naggayi, a health care support worker in Ottawa and mother of two young children, is facing deportation from Canada, despite a pending application for permanent residence on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds. Amnesty International is calling on the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship to expedite the processing of her application, to help stop the deportation and ensure this family stays together in Canada.
“No mother should be separated from their child. When you have children, the love that you have for them is too much to ever let go. Every child deserves to be raised by their parents.” – Betty Kalule Naggayi
Betty Kalule Naggayi is the primary caregiver for her two Canadian sons, Cedek (3 years old) and Jibril (18 months old), but is facing the excruciating possibility of being deported and separated from them. This would have a devastating impact on her family, friends, and community. Her children would be torn away from her if she is deported, causing trauma and harm. Betty’s youngest, Jibril, is still breastfeeding. Betty provides her oldest, Cedek, with specialized support and care as he has severe autism spectrum disorder.
Betty has applied to remain in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, in part because of the extraordinary harms that would result from being separated from her children. If her application is approved, she will not be deported.
Under international law, Canada is prohibited from separating children from their parents unless it is in the child's best interests. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has noted that young children – like Cedek and Jibril – are vulnerable to adverse consequences from separation because of their physical dependence on and emotional attachment to their parents. Deporting or removing a family member may amount to arbitrary or unlawful interference with family life.
Tell Canada that family separation is unacceptable – act now to fight for Betty and her sons!