Choose Nearest City

  • Calgary
  • Ottawa
  • Edmonton
  • Regina
  • Halifax
  • Saskatoon
  • Hamilton
  • Toronto GTA
  • Kingston
  • Vancouver
  • Kitchener
  • Waterloo
  • London
  • Windsor
  • Montreal
  • Winnipeg
  • Outside of Canada

Choose your city (or nearest city)

  • Calgary
  • Montreal
  • Edmonton
  • Ottawa
  • Regina
  • Saskatoon
  • Halifax
  • Toronto GTA
  • Hamilton
  • Vancouver
  • Kingston
  • Waterloo
  • Kitchener
  • Windsor
  • London
  • Winnipeg
  • Outside of Canada
  • Events
  • Directory
  • PatronsPatrons

Enter your login credentials

Forgot username?

Forgot password?

Remember Me
Register
Facebook Login Google Login
loading
Please wait, logging in...

Register Details

[Form copy_BFRegistration not found!]
Have an account? Login

Forgot Username

[Form forgot_username not found!]

Forgot Password

[Form forgot_password not found!]

How would you like to proceed?

LOG IN / SIGN UP allows you to:
  • Have a record of all events you've been to.
  • Request cancellation if you cannot make it to an event.
  • Post an event of your own.
  • Add your business/organization listing to the online directory.
  • Add an opportunity (job, volunteer, petition, survey, etc.).

Please login to continue

LOG IN / SIGN UP allows you to:
  • Have a record of all events you've been to.
  • Request cancellation if you cannot make it to an event.
  • Post an event of your own.
  • Add your business/organization listing to the online directory.
  • Add an opportunity (job, volunteer, petition, survey, etc.).
Muslim Link is Ottawa Muslims' Online Community Newspaper. The site includes an up-to-date Events Listing and Business and Community Directory for Ottawa Muslims.
.
ML Directory
ML Directory
  • Home
  • Events
    • Ottawa
    • Montreal
    • Toronto GTA
    • Edmonton
    • Calgary
    • Vancouver
    • London
    • Windsor
    • Hamilton
    • Halifax
    • Winnipeg
    • Kingston
    • Kitchener/Waterloo
    • Regina/Saskatoon
    • Event Table
  • Directory
    • Ottawa
    • Montreal
    • Toronto GTA
    • Edmonton
    • Calgary
    • Vancouver
    • London
    • Windsor
    • Hamilton
    • Halifax
    • Winnipeg
    • Kingston
    • Kitchener/Waterloo
    • Regina/Saskatoon
  • News
  • Stories
  • Islamic Finance
  • Classifieds
    • Opportunities
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Job Opportunities
      • Crowdfunding
      • Bazaar Vendors Wanted
      • Call for Donations
      • ​​Scholarships / Bursaries
      • ​​Petitions
      • Nominations
      • ​​Call for Participants
      • ​​Call for Submissions
      • Call for Abstracts
      • Grants
      • ​​Surveys
      • ​​Invitation to Dialogue
      • Sponsorships
      • Contests
    • Locations
      • Jumaa Locations
      • Full-Time Islamic Schools
      • Part-Time Islamic Schools
      • Hifz Programs
      • Iftar Locations
      • Taraweeh Prayers
      • I'tikaf Locations
      • Eid Prayers
      • Eid Festival Locations
      • Camps Locations
    • Rentals
      • Add Rental
    • Find a Place
    • Find a Tenant
  • Opportunities
  • Locations
  • Rentals
  • Blog
  • Action Alerts
  • Home
  • News
  • Family and Community Calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Stop the Deportation of Abdoul Abdi
Abdoul Abdi is facing deportation to a country he has never seen because while he was in the child welfare system, no citizenship was obtained for him. Abdoul Abdi is facing deportation to a country he has never seen because while he was in the child welfare system, no citizenship was obtained for him.
28
Feb
2018

Family and Community Calls on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Stop the Deportation of Abdoul Abdi

Written by  Chelby Daigle
Published in News
  • Add to Facebook
  • Like this? Tweet it to your followers!

Abdoul Abdi came to Canada as a refugee when he was six years old and is now facing deportation to Somalia, a country he has never lived in. Why?

Nova Scotian university student Amina Abawajy created a petition that now has over 2,500 signatures to raise awareness about Abdi's plight. She states:

"Abdoulkader Abdi came to Canada at the age of 6, with his sister and two aunts, as jointly-sponsored refugees who fled Somalia. Shortly after arriving, Abdoul and his sister were apprehended by the Department of Community Services (“DCS”), which is responsible for child protection in Nova Scotia. He became a permanent ward of the state at age nine 9. In the first 8 years that Abdoul was in care, he was housed in twenty 20 different placements. The longest placement was a three 3 year period with a foster family who he considered abusive. He was also homeless for a period of time.

.

When Abdoul became a permanent ward of the state, his family lost the legal authority to apply for citizenship on his behalf. His aunts became Canadian citizens. Abdoul and his sister did not. DCS did not make a citizenship application for either child. The Deputy Minister of DCS recently advised that DCS has no policies for children in its care who are non-citizens. DCS does not anticipate fixing this “policy gap” until March 2019.

As a teenager, Abdoul began having conflict with the law. This is a phenomenon called crossover that affects children in care more frequently than others. At the age of 20, Abdoul pled guilty to aggravated assault and other charges. He was sentenced to 4.5 years in jail. As a result, he was deemed criminally inadmissible to Canada.

The Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness is actively seeking to strip Abdoul of his Permanent Residence so that he can be deported to either Somalia or Saudi Arabia. Abdoul has never lived in Somalia and only lived in Saudi Arabia until he was 2. Abdoul would be at significant risk in both countries. He has no family connections in either country, does not speak the language, and does not know the local culture. Deportation would also separate Abdoul from his entire family, who are all in Canada—his Canadian-born daughter, his niece, his sister, and his two aunts."

On February 23rd, Abdoul Abdi's request to "press pause" on this deportation proceedings while he pursues a constitutional challenge was rejected.

His admissibility hearing has been postponed until after a federal court decides on his judicial review. A full oral hearing will take place on May 29.

.

As the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada cannot hear about the reasons why Abdi did not get citizenship or consider human rights law, he could very likely be deported.

Currently Abdi is living in a halfway house in Toronto and recently hired to be part of a research project that examines youth who have contact with both the child-welfare system and the criminal justice system.

Should the deportation order proceed, he could lose the right to work and receive healthcare in Canada.

But, the Federal Government could still pause the deportation hearing.

Community members supporting Abdi are strongly encouraging to reach out to Minister Ralph Goodale, Minister Ahmed Hussen, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to urge them to stop the deportation of Abdoul Abdi.

.

The following is a sample email readers could send to them:

Sample Letter

Dear [Insert Member of Parliament's Name]

I stand in solidarity with Abdoul Adbi and ask that you immediately STOP his deportation.

I ask that the practice of ordering deportations of people who have experienced criminalization after coming to Canada as children be ended, forever, for all. This practice is inhumane. As described by Abdi’s lawyer Benjamin Perryman, these children were “denied the right to even have rights.”

.

Children in care in Canada right now, who are eligible for citizenship, must be granted citizenship immediately. Adults who should have been granted citizenship as children in care must be granted citizenship immediately.

Abdoul has secured a job and is trying to rebuild his life after having served his prison sentence. Instead, he's fighting a deportation to a country he has no family in and no way to survive.

Stop this deportation. Give children in care citizenship. Let Abdoul’s Canadian daughter have her father in her life.

Sincerely,

[Insert Your Name]

.

Email/call:
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 613 947-1153
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 613-995-0777
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - 613-995-0253

"I think my brother would die if he went back," Fatouma Abdi on the possible deportation of her brother, Abdoul Abdi #pnpcbc pic.twitter.com/3WVRr88Scc— Power & Politics (@PnPCBC) January 18, 2018

The International Human Rights Program at the University of Toronto's Faculty of Law is also drafting a complaint to the United Nations  on behalf of Abdi's case.

.@UTLaw students celebrating small victories today with #AbdoulAbdi at @IHRP_UofT.
Read our oped on why PM @JustinTrudeau should ensure that #Canada does not deport him: https://t.co/nd5WZrr8kX #FreeAbdoulAbdi pic.twitter.com/ZkuwTfTseu— Samer Muscati (@SamerMuscati) January 26, 2018

The deportation hearing of #AbdoulAbdi has been adjourned until a federal court decides on his judicial review. https://t.co/iufcHC9EL3— Global Halifax (@globalhalifax) March 21, 2018

https://twitter.com/Reakash/status/971073550575575040

People wearing T-shirts spelling, “Free Abdoul” were protesting Abdoul Abdi's impending deportation back to a country where his family feels his life would be in danger. https://t.co/C13ZX53qVY— Global Halifax (@globalhalifax) February 22, 2018

here's my exclusive interview with asha, the aunt of abdoul abdi, a refugee who is at risk of deportation because the government neglected him. please listen and see my pinned tweet to take action—abdoul needs us right now #FreeAbdoulAbdi https://t.co/6Iw37uM9NY— Negro Frolics (@DesmondCole) January 8, 2018

Canada’s institutions repeatedly failed former child refugee Abdoul Abdi #StopTheDeportationNow https://t.co/ATfbjTuKkY via @torontostar— Shree Paradkar//श्री पराडकर 🍁 (@ShreeParadkar) February 15, 2018

https://twitter.com/tuckeve/status/970023680125239296

#AbdoulAbdi's hearing has been postponed to March 21...the international day for the elimination of racial discrimination.

Encouraging news. #FreeAbdoulAbdi #cdnpoli— Sandy Hudson (@sandela) March 7, 2018

On December 14, 2017 I asked @SenHarder what the federal government is planning to do to respond to situations such as the one #AbdoulAbdi finds himself in. Given the profound, life-changing, and long-lasting consequences, we urgently need answers. See: https://t.co/UNsHyYFeQ1. pic.twitter.com/4icYdaxhTE— Senator Victor Oh (@SenatorVictorOh) January 12, 2018

Here is a copy of my statement requesting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Citizenship & Immigration Minister Ahmed Hussen to take action and halt the deportation of Nova Scotia youth Abdoul Abdi. pic.twitter.com/AAK88ftjKO— Neethan Shan (@NeethanShan) March 7, 2018

Abdoul Abdi was never given a chance. We failed him as a refugee & as a child growing up in 31 different foster homes in Canada.

The care system failed. I stand with supporters seeking justice & call for the appropriate intervention into his deportation. https://t.co/9RcVpgbNyq— Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) March 7, 2018

This article was produced exclusively for Muslim Link and should not be copied without prior permission from the site. For permission, please write to info@muslimlink.ca.

Read 12952 times Last modified on Wed, 18 Jul 2018 16:49
Rate this item
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
(0 votes)
Tagged under
  • Somali Canadian
  • Black Canadian
  • Halifax
  • Nova Scotia
  • Child Welfare System
  • Petition
  • Refugees
  • Abdoul Abdi
Chelby Daigle

Chelby Daigle

Chelby Marie Daigle is Muslim Link’s Editor in Chief and Coordinator. Under her direction, Muslim Link adopted its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy so that the website strives to reflect the complexity of Muslim communities in Canada. She knows that she fails to do justice to this complexity every day but she will continue to try to improve as she recognizes the frustration of being both marginalized in the mainstream and also marginalized in Muslim communities. As Coordinator, she works to build relationships with Muslim and mainstream organizations and manages the website's social media, event listings, and directories. She organizes regular Muslim Link gatherings. She also works closely with the Publisher to find ways to keep Muslim Link sustainable. Find her on Twitter @ChelbyDaigle

Latest from Chelby Daigle

  • Yousra’s Story: “I Need Canadians Help to Save My Mother” Yousra’s Story: “I Need Canadians Help to Save My Mother”
  • Islamic History Month and Islamic Heritage Month 2024 Events Across Canada Islamic History Month and Islamic Heritage Month 2024 Events Across Canada
  • Sudanese and Palestinian Canadians Unite at Demonstration Against War in Sudan Sudanese and Palestinian Canadians Unite at Demonstration Against War in Sudan

Related items

  • Justice for Abdirahman Coalition: Verdict in Inquest Rules That Death Was A Homicide Justice for Abdirahman Coalition: Verdict in Inquest Rules That Death Was A Homicide
  • Somali Canadian Children's Author Awarded $15,000 from Edmonton Arts Council Somali Canadian Children's Author Awarded $15,000 from Edmonton Arts Council
  • Justice for Abdirahman Coalition: Inquest into the 2016 Death of Abdirahman Abdi Begins Justice for Abdirahman Coalition: Inquest into the 2016 Death of Abdirahman Abdi Begins
back to top
.
.
.
.
.

Subscribe to Mailing List

Sign up for our free Muslim Link Snapshot and get our events listing and latest articles sent to your inbox weekly.

Please enter a name
Please enter a valid email address
Please enter a city

Ottawa Events
View More Events
Al-Ihsan Jiu-Jitsu: Raising Rijal Program Featured
Tue, Jul 01, 2025 06:00pm EST/EDT
Sports/Fitness
Summer Programs @ Izzah Learning Center Featured
Wed, Jul 02, 2025 all day
Educational
Online Event
The Role of Intersectionality in Frontline Programming for Racialized Immigrant Women
Fri, Jun 27, 2025 12:00pm EST/EDT
Educational
Ottawa Eagles Wrestling SUMMER Program - 16+ Grappling Program
Sat, Jun 28, 2025 all day
Courses
A Musical Evening in Support of Children in Palestine and Lebanon
Sat, Jun 28, 2025 all day
Concerts

Featured Articles

  • Yousra’s Story: “I Need Canadians Help to Save My Mother” Yousra’s Story: “I Need Canadians Help to Save My Mother”
  • Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians (APAC) 9th Annual Palestine Day on the Hill: Watch Video Association of Palestinian Arab Canadians (APAC) 9th Annual Palestine Day on the Hill: Watch Video
  • Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) Statement on the Passing of Alia Hogben Canadian Council of Muslim Women (CCMW) Statement on the Passing of Alia Hogben

About us

  • About Muslim Link
    Our Team
    About Eye Media
    Contact Us
    Diversity & Inclusion Policy
  • Events & Directory Disclaimer
  • Project: A Muslim History of Ottawa

How To

  • How to Advertise on Muslim Link?
    How to View / Edit Your Advertisement Campaign?
    How to Add a Directory Listing on the Directory?
    How to Claim a Directory Listing?
    How to Add an Event?
    How to Add an Opportunity?
    How to Add a Rental Listing?

Event Listings

  •  - Ottawa
  •  - Toronto GTA
  •  - Montreal
  •  - Edmonton
  •  - Calgary
  •  - Vancouver
  •  - London
  •  - Windsor
  •  - Hamilton
  •  - Kitchener/Waterloo
  •  - Halifax
  •  - Winnipeg
  •  - Kingston
  •  - Regina/Saskatoon

Business & Community Directory

  •  - Ottawa
  •  - Toronto GTA
  •  - Montreal
  •  - Edmonton
  •  - Calgary
  •  - Vancouver
  •  - London
  •  - Windsor
  •  - Hamilton
  •  - Kitchener/Waterloo
  •  - Halifax
  •  - Winnipeg
  •  - Kingston
  •  - Regina/Saskatoon

Advertisers

  • Advertise Online
  • Become a Patron
  • Sponsorships
  • Join Snapshot e-Newsletter
  • Snapshot Publishing Dates

ML Team

  • Writers Workshops
  • Content Policy
  • Staff Payment System
  • Join the team

Social Media

Follow us on our pages!

Facebook Twitter Youtube LinkedIn Pinterest

Copyright © 2025 Muslim Link. All Rights Reserved. All articles, photos, graphics and images on this site remain the copyright of Muslim Link, unless otherwise noted, and should not be copied without prior permission. Designed by Eye Media Solutions
Top
Copyright © Muslim Link. All articles, photos, graphics and images on this site remain the copyright of Muslim Link, unless otherwise noted, and should not be copied without prior permission. 2025 All rights reserved. Custom Design by Youjoomla.com