As she spent more than 2,000 hours caring for sick and elderly patients at the start of the pandemic, a Nigerian woman, a mother of four, faces deportation from Canada because she stopped working early in her life. pregnancy for medical reasons.
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Idayat Saka, a 33-year-old mother of four, lives in Toronto. She stopped working early in her third trimester because of high-risk complications “from previous cesarean deliveries, Global News reported.
What she had no idea was that her decision, taken under the advice of her doctor, would later be used to deny her permanent residence in Canada.
The 30-something has spent more than 2,000 hours caring for sick and elderly patients in Ontario since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, especially during the deadly third and fourth waves of the virus.
She applied for permanent residence in Canada under a special program put in place by former Liberal Immigration Minister Marco Mendicino. This program aims to recognize the “exceptional service” of asylum seekers who have worked on the front lines of the pandemic by offering them the opportunity to stay in the country.
Ms. Saka is a hard worker, she returned to her post less than three months after giving birth in June 2020 by Caesarean section and works full time.
But that didn’t seem to be enough, and her application was rejected by the department responsible for immigration programs and services, because she did not meet one of the basic requirements of the program. This forced the applicants to have worked at least 120 hours between March 13, 2020 and August 14, 2020. However, during this period, Idayat Saka was pregnant and her doctor had recommended that she not work to protect her and her. baby.
Arriving in Canada four years ago after saying their lives had been threatened by gunmen, Ms Saka, her husband and two of their children could soon be deported to Nigeria. Her youngest sons, aged three and one, cannot be deported because they are Canadian.
Ms Saka has appealed the decision to Federal Court, if she wins, her claim will be referred to another immigration officer for reconsideration.
“I worked for it and I still work,” she said, believing that she won the right to stay in Canada.