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Guyanese Woman Can't Sponsor Pakistani Husband Because Brother is on Welfare |
According to the story Canadian welfare officials refuse to tell Susan Naraine, 39, where her brother Laskshmee lives, citing privacy restrictions.
"What's interesting is that her brother has never come to her for help or assistance,'' said Naraine's lawyer, Mendel Green is quoted as saying. "This poor woman is being stopped from sponsoring her husband through no fault of her own. This is one of the conundrums that you face in a sponsorship situation.''
Naraine, 39, who immigrated in 1983 and received her Canadian citizenship 10 years later, sponsored her younger brother and their mother from Guyana in 1996. But she said she has lost touch with her brother for at least two years.
Her lawyer said that if welfare officials had notified her of Laskshmee's whereabouts, she would gladly have helped him out.
"The government has unfairly permitted her brother to continue on welfare and not given her the slightest bit of information on it,'' Green charged.
Under the 10-year sponsorship agreement with the federal government, if the family member receives benefits under a government program and the sponsor doesn't repay the amount in full, she would be prohibited from sponsoring someone in the future, said immigration spokesperson René Mercier.
"It's quite clear in the undertaking that you've got to make sure that the person doesn't go on welfare,'' he is quoted as saying in the story. "It's like you sign on a bank loan for someone. Your signature is supposed to mean something.''
Heather MacVicar, general manager of Toronto social services, said her department cannot reveal any information about its clients, not even to their family members.
"I cannot talk about anything to do with the case. It's confidential,'' said MacVicar, adding that her staff look at a person's other financial support, including sponsorship, when they process social assistance applications.
Naraine, who has worked as a secretary for 16 years, said Laskshmee, 37, left her home six months after his arrival because of an argument they had over his refusal to get a job.
"I got him new clothes, a new haircut, new shoes and a job as a general labourer assembling dog biscuits at a factory,'' Naraine said. "But he left his job after two days and just disappeared.''
Naraine said she never heard from Laskshmee until late 1996, when he called her from the Don Jail asking for help. He disappeared again after his release and Naraine hadn't heard anything about her brother until she received the immigration letter regarding her husband's sponsorship application.
"I can't control a 37-year-old man. I don't mind paying back (the social assistance) for my brother, but at least they should allow me to bring my husband back to Canada so we can have a life with our own family,'' said Naraine, as she wept with a family photo in her hand.
Naraine escaped an abusive first marriage and was raising her 12-year-old son, Michael, by herself in 1997 when she met Mohammad Chaudhry, 30, in Toronto. He was employed as a truck driver while awaiting his refugee hearing. The couple got married on Dec. 21, 1999, only a month before he was deported in January to Lahore when his refugee claim was rejected.
Continues the Star story: "My husband had been working since he came to Canada but still got deported. My brother has been collecting welfare for almost four years, but he's allowed to stay,'' Naraine said. "I don't understand why the Canadian government would prefer someone to be on welfare than to be working here.'' (Toronto Star)