It’s a whole weight that is released from the shoulders of Mamadi Camara. The young man, who had been wrongly accused of having assaulted a police officer at the beginning of 2021 and whose story had shocked Quebec, has just obtained his permanent Canadian residence.
Posted at 9:29
“We were really hoping for a quick decision and it’s a big relief for all of us and for him today. It saves us a lot of procedures and even more stress related to all that, ”says the lawyer for the principal concerned, Mr.and Guillaume Cliche-Rivard, in interview with The Press.
This is because the temporary residence permit (PST) held by Mr. Camara – a type of permit granted by Immigration Canada in cases deemed to be special or even priority cases that require specific intervention – expired in February. Without permanent residence, he could therefore have been forced to leave the country in the coming weeks.
For him, this permanent residence is a breath of fresh air. We did not even know, until yesterday, if he could continue to work in Canada, to make his living here. It was causing a lot of angst.
Mand Guillaume Cliche-Rivard
In transition
It was for “humanitarian and compassionate” reasons that permanent residency was ultimately granted to Mr. Camara. Such a status allows him to work and study freely for at least five years. Both in Ottawa and in Quebec, the deputies of the House of Commons and the National Assembly had already affirmed their desire that the young man obtain this permanent residence. Motions to this effect were adopted unanimously on both hills last February.
Now living in the Ottawa area with his wife and two twins, Mr. Camara wishes for the moment to stay away from the public eye and attention. His lawyers, however, specify that he is still in a process of “psychological rehabilitation”, which could last several years.
“There is still enormous distress in his case. It’s still very fresh, all that. After all, it’s only been barely a year. The journey will be long, but we feel that he is on the right track. He is in transition. What matters now is that he focuses on his well-being,” continues Ms.and Cliche-Rivard.
Looking for a job, Mamadi Camara is expected to complete her research master’s degree in electrical engineering in the coming months. He also hopes to eventually obtain Canadian citizenship, which is often the next step after obtaining permanent residency, in the next few years.
A landmark case
Mamadi Camara was wrongly accused of assaulting policeman Sanjay Vig in early 2021. He spent six nights behind bars before being released by the authorities. Since then, he has also received, and accepted, an apology from the Service de police de la Ville de Montréal (SPVM). Claiming to be a victim of racial profiling, he and his relatives also filed a lawsuit for 1.2 million against the City of Montreal last summer.
The Montrealer, originally from Guinea, was finally cleared thanks to a surveillance video from the Quebec Ministry of Transport showing part of the altercation. In his pursuit, he also denounces his “brutal arrest”, he who had injured his cheek after being immobilized on the ground. An officer put his boot on his face calling him a fool, according to the request.
Another suspect has since been arrested in this case. On March 26, the SPVM announced that it had arrested Ali Ngarukiye in Toronto, who is to be tried for having disarmed and assaulted officer Vig.