Take Action
Please take a moment to send an email to Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship John McCallum, Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale, and your MP in support of U.S. Iraq War Resisters.
Below is a text you can copy and paste to send or, even better, write your own letter outlining why you think U.S. war resisters should be allowed to stay.
Email addresses to send to:
minister@cic.gc.ca
Ralph.Goodale@parl.gc.ca
To find contact info for your Member of Parliament, click here and enter your postal code.
Sample letter:
I am writing to you in support of U.S. Iraq war resisters who came to Canada seeking asylum because of their refusal to participate in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. War resisters who have been forced back to the United States have faced harsh punishment for following their conscience.
As you know, Canadians overwhelmingly opposed the Iraq war and the Liberal government under Jean Chretien made a decision not to participate in it. In addition, a majority of Canadians have consistently stated that they support welcoming these conscientious objectors as permanent residents.
In spite of this support, the actions of the former Conservative government mean that U.S. war resisters continue to live under imminent threat of removal from Canada.
Public statements made by the former Conservative government’s representatives – and the introduction of Operational Bulletin 202 instructing immigration officers to single out U.S. war resister cases on the grounds that they may be ‘criminally inadmissible’ to Canada – have prevented each case being heard on its merits.
A great injustice has been done to those who have already been deported, separated from Canadian spouses and children, and sentenced to heavy jail terms for following their conscience.
I urge you to immediately cease deportation proceedings against all remaining U.S. war resisters in Canada, to withdraw Operational Bulletin 202 that has prejudiced their immigration proceedings, and to cease litigation against war resisters that upholds decisions and policies of the former Conservative government. It’s been 10 years. It’s time to let them stay!
