Mr. Speaker, yesterday, I asked a question to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration regarding the deportation of a family of Romanian refugees, Carmen and Alexandru Dima and their daughters Simona and Diana.
Once again, the minister refused to intervene in this issue, and showed a blatant lack of sensitivity, humanism and compassion. The public, as well as the groups and the individuals who supported that family, were frustrated and shocked by the minister and the government's refusal to use discretionary power in this case. The Dima family arrived in Quebec on February 27, 1992, and immediately claimed refugee status. To everyone's surprise, the IRB and the minister rejected all the representations made.
The Dima family was very well integrated to the community. Mrs. Dima, who was a teacher in Romania, worked as a volunteer at the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce school. She was promised a job with the Montreal catholic school board. Her husband, a computer technician, received a job offer from Avtech company, in Dorval.
One daughter, Simona, got 97 per cent in French and is in a class for advanced or gifted students at the Saint-Luc high school. As for Diana, she goes to Notre-Dame-de-Grâce and only speaks French. The family also has relatives in Montreal. I saw the Dimas cry on television before their deportation, and I was very moved by that drama.
I want to congratulate the Quebec minister of Immigration, Mr. Bernard Landry, who promised to deal quickly, and with compassion, with the immigrant applications which will be submitted at the Canadian consulate, in New York. This is another example of the open-mindedness of the Quebec government towards immigrants and refugees. Quebec is truly an exceptional land of adoption.
I want to mention the solidarity expressed by ordinary citizens, parishioners from the Notre-Dame-de-Grâce church, reverend Fernand Patry, teachers and students from the two above-mentioned schools, as well as by the Brothers of Christian Schools, who will look after the family in Plattsburgh.
The minister, who is afraid of the Reform Party, and who is becoming increasingly hard on immigrants and refugees, should take into account these spontaneous expressions of human solidarity by the public. I do hope that he will take the necessary measures to expedite the processing of the immigrant applications of that family, as regards the elements which fall under federal jurisdiction.
I am convinced that Quebec and Canadian society will benefit from the contribution of the Dima family. I am the last speaker and I want to take this opportunity to wish you, Mr. Speaker, as well as all the members of this House, a Happy Easter.
