Mr. Speaker, I rise to present a petition signed by hundreds of people concerning the deportation order issued against Salvadorian refugee claimant Jose Figueroa.
The Immigration and Refugee Board has issued a deportation order against Mr. Figueroa, a Salvadorian refugee claimant and married father of three Canadian born children, who has lived in Canada for 13 years. The order is based on arguments by the Canada Border Services Agency and Department of Public Safety that Mr. Figueroa was once a member of the Farabundo Martà National Liberation Front, which is now the government in El Salvador.
We know that Mr. Figueroa has never been involved in terrorist activities. The FMNL is not and has never been a terrorist organization. Mr. Figueroa has the support of his community and has an unblemished record of good citizenship in this country.
The petitioners ask that all members of the House contact the Minister of Public Safety to ensure this order against this very worthy claimant is lifted.