Church shelter brings hope
Refugee claimant fears torture in Nepal if deported
Published: Friday, March 23, 2007 Link to original metronews.ca story
kenneth jackson / metro ottawa
Shree Kumar Rai, 44, a Nepalese citizen who has been in Canada since 1996, is the second refugee to seek sanctuary at Ottawa’s First Unitarian Congregation on Cleary Avenue. He has been lodged since Feb. 27 in the church, which yesterday announced it would shelter him.
A Nepal man claiming refugee status in Canada has taken up sanctuary at a city church, saying he’ll be tortured if sent home.
Shree Kumar Rai, 44, has been in Canada since 1996 and said yesterday, "I fear for my life if I am deported and forced to go back to my country."
Rai sought sanctuary at Ottawa’s First Unitarian Congregation on Feb. 27, after his appeal of an April 2006 deportation order was rejected. The church formally announced yesterday it had offered him sanctuary.
"We’ve come to know an extremely peaceful person and someone that is terrified of returning to his country," congregation president Joan Auden said of the decision.
Rai came to Canada in June 1996 and worked as a sushi chef in Montreal. Rai said he was a teacher and activist in Nepal until he was arrested in 1985 for protesting Nepal’s dictatorship.
He was released, but arrested again, and Rai said he was tortured while in custody.
He fled to Moscow then to Canada, leaving behind a young son, Aditya, who is now 15 years old.
"I’m very worried about my son," said Rai, who said Aditya is in hiding in Nepal. He hopes to bring his son to Canada if granted status.
Former Ontario NDP leader Michael Cassidy is leading Rai’s fight for status.
This is the second time the church has offered sanctuary. In July 2003, Samsu Mia spent 18 months in sanctuary at the church before the federal government admitted him to Canada, along with his family.
"Our church really believes we need to stand up for these people and make their case for them. We believe there are flaws in the systems," said Auden.
The Canadian Border Services Agency enforces deportation orders, but Citizenship and Immigration Canada spokeswoman Marina Wilson said, generally, officials respect the tradition of church sanctuary.
"Legally, CBSA can go in there and take him but we have not tended to do this," Wilson said. "I believe there are about 10 ongoing (sanctuary) cases at this time in Canada and it would be rare that CBSA would sort of storm in there and take the individual.
"It doesn’t happen too often."
kenneth jackson/metro ottawa
kenneth.jackson@metronews.ca