A man from Pakistan was expelled from the United States shortly after Canadian border services agreed to review his case, but the decision was only communicated to his lawyer five days later, rendering it ineffective. Abdul Raqeeb spent over two months in a New York Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center during the summer.
Abdul Raqeeb, along with his wife Saba and their two-and-a-half-year-old child Shahzain, faced challenges after Canadian border agents turned them away in July at an official crossing, despite providing evidence of Abdul Raqeeb’s familial ties in Canada, which would have made them eligible to seek refuge there.
Following media coverage of their situation, immigration lawyer Jared Will intervened on behalf of the Raqeeb family, urgently requesting the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to reconsider their entry request at a land border before Abdul’s scheduled deportation from the U.S. Meanwhile, Saba and Shahzain remained in Buffalo awaiting updates.
Despite CBSA agreeing to reconsider the case, the decision communicated via email on September 23 was dated September 18, the same day Abdul Raqeeb was deported. This incident highlights a trend where individuals are denied entry into Canada despite meeting eligibility criteria, possibly due to CBSA’s stringent application of standards.
Raqeeb, aged 46, had migrated from Pakistan to the U.S. earlier in the year with his family. They decided to seek asylum in Canada after facing threats in the U.S. due to their involvement in aiding a stranger fleeing violence. Their attempt to enter Canada in July was met with detention by U.S. authorities, leading to Abdul’s deportation to a detention center in New York.
Despite facing health issues and poor conditions in detention, Raqeeb opted for voluntary deportation. After a tumultuous journey back to Pakistan, he finally arrived in Islamabad. The abrupt request from CBSA for him to appear at a Canadian land border through the U.S. left Saba questioning the situation.
Legal avenues for Raqeeb’s entry into Canada are limited, with Will exploring options such as temporary residence permits or visitor visas, albeit rare exceptions. The delayed communication of CBSA’s decision has left the family in a precarious situation, with questions raised about the agency’s handling of cases involving individuals seeking refuge in Canada.
The incident reflects a broader trend of increased denials of entry by CBSA compared to previous years, as indicated by the agency’s data. CBSA’s enforcement actions to remove a significant number of individuals from the country by 2027 further underscore the challenges faced by asylum seekers seeking entry into Canada.
