Canada 'refuses entry to disabled girl'
A British family who planned to start a new life in Canada were refused entry because their daughter has learning difficulties and have been forced to return home.
Paul and Barbara-Anne Chapman had sold their home and bought a farmhouse in Nova Scotia where the local authorities supported their arrival.
But after a six-hour flight the family claim they were told by a border guard that because Lucy, seven, is disabled she would never be allowed into the country.
Canadian immigration officials have suggested the Chapmans may have been turned back because they lacked the necessary work permit.
The family believed they had the necessary paperwork in place, down to the clearance required for their black labrador, Harvey.
Mr Chapman, a former Metropolitan police officer, said the problem began when the border guard looked at their passports at Halifax airport.
“The atmosphere changed. She said: ‘why have you brought your daughter to this country?’” he said.
“I asked why I shouldn’t I bring her and was told by the border guard that because she was disabled she had a lifetime ban.
“We couldn’t believe what they were saying.”
Lucy suffers from a rare genetic defect called Angelman syndrome, a condition that leaves her with a reduced mental age and without the ability to speak. Physically, she appears normal, has an average life expectancy and requires no additional medical care or drugs.
Mrs Chapman, 45, also a former police officer in London, said: “I have never, ever in my whole life seen such blatant discrimination. Lucy is different and therefore in their eyes not perfect.
“I kept saying to them: ‘So because my daughter is disabled you are telling me she can’t come in?’ and they simply said ‘yes’.”
“My dog was allowed to stay. My dog has a higher status than my daughter in Canada, just because she is disabled.”
After a five-hour stand off the family was allowed to leave the airport but their passports were seized. Eighteen days later they were asked to leave the country.
Their plan to move to Canada had been hatched in 2005 when Mr Chapman applied for leave to study at Ontario University.
Although national law at the time meant Lucy’s condition would have barred them from entering, a Canadian Supreme Court ruling a few months later led to the blanket ban on disabled immigrants being lifted.
Attracted by lower prices, the higher standard of living and Canada’s recent drive to welcome 50,000 skilled workers, the Chapmans thought it would be the perfect place for Lucy and her brother Jack, aged 16 years.
After visiting Canada twice as tourists they sold their four-bedroom home in Wokingham, Berks., for £600,000 and bought a two-acre plot in Miller Lake, Halifax County, for just £140,000 pounds.
The Chapmans employed a visa consultancy firm to organise their residency application and the Nova Scotian authorities applied for temporary residency and a three-year work permit in their name that would allow them to set up a children’s soft play centre business in their local mall.
They have employed a Canadian lawyer to fight their case and have vowed not to give up.
A spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) said he was unable to comment on the Chapman case specifically.
“People with disabilities can come to Canada,” he said.
“In Canada we have rules and regulations to protect the Canadian people and we have to make sure that the proper process is followed.
“It is not that we do not want them (the Chapmans) herethey just have to follow the proper process, which includes ensuring the residency permit is in place before arriving in Canada.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/canada/2519496/Ca...
What's that all about! Disabled were banned from entering Canada until six months ago? The border guard and other authorities weren't obviously told about the supreme court's decision of lifting the ban. Wake up! Just thinking how those guys must've felt while refusing entry to the family, especially the girl in question was there with them all the time.
I agree with you on that one, the real brits are becoming a minority.
nah theres more than meets the eye in the case......
Not correct..
There is a large slavic community, Sikhs, indians, Arabs and Pakistanis..
Brits are probably in the minority..
Not only the French, but a lot of Britons.....LOL
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It's cause everyone's so jealous of us. :P
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But why though..
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It's in today's Gulf Times as well. It seems everyone loves picking on Canada, even if it is by blowning things out of proportion and false reporting.
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Frankly from the rather biased reporting in the article I don't think any of us can say what really happened.
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As I said previously, perhaps the Visa Consultancy and not they were trying to pull a fast one..
Gypsy: I don't think there's any country in the world that would ADMIT to having bias against those with disabilities. So, IMHO Canada is not unique in this isntance.
Canada should totally eradicate their embassies and consulate in other countries because of inefficiencies. And we are talking of UK here. How inefficient for the consular office in UK to give permission to this family to travel to Canada and then refused entry because some papers were some sort of "incomplete or ...."
And the fact that they sold their properties in UK already? What an unlucky family!!!!
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
Where there any witnesses to that? Also, if they had the proper medical paperwork it wouldn't have been an issue.
When I came back from Korea and I didn't check the right box to bring my cat in and ended up in immigration for over 2 hours and had to pay a fine. Immigration people aren't stupid, if you don't have the proper paperwork done, you aren't getting in.
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Property nowhere in Canada is cheap, and Miller's Lake is defintely not, and Oshawa wouldn't be cheap either for an apartment, much less schooling. IT doesn't make sense.
I have to agree with Tallg, I think they are trying to pull a fast one.
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Mrs Chapman, 45, also a former police officer in London, said: “I have never, ever in my whole life seen such blatant discrimination. Lucy is different and therefore in their eyes not perfect.
“I kept saying to them: ‘So because my daughter is disabled you are telling me she can’t come in?’ and they simply said ‘yes’.”
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the article said, that it was in 2005 they hatched that plan to immigrate to Canada because the father wants to study in Ontario University. Whether it is 16 or 17 hours away, we don't know the reasons behind the father to buy that property that far away to the intended school (maybe its cheap, maybe he will rent a room near the school, maybe he will go home once a week or maybe he will work there while studying), endless possibilities.
We really need to know the whole story. How did they pass the interview in UK?, did they presented a genuine medical report (which I think they presented,IMHO), did they buy the Canadian property after approval of their immigrant status, etc. etc.
One more thing, if the "burden" to Canada is the issue, the daughter is still very young and the parents and brother can prepare the whole future of this girl including whatever expenses the state may provide for her in the future.
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
Yes, I figured the word FREE in first go, so you don't have to stress on that. I'm sure there are many other countries who offer free medical facilities as well let alone medical insurance provided by their employers, so who really cares for FREE medical facilities. What's the big deal?
Too many if's and but's in your statement. I'd still go wtih Arien's and KH's statement about keeping in healthy cows and kick out the rest.
What are you doing in Doha anyway? :P
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But the article is basically trying to say "how awful that this poor family with a disabled kid were turned back from their dream which they'd been planning for ages", when in fact it appears that they may have been pulling a fast one. That's more than a technicality.
there is a difference between telling if the incident happened and the technicalities and background of the case. The later will be decided by the court or whatever and we would come to know the truth. But acting like American advocates (as we see in the movies) who for a comma or fullstop in the wrong place waive the whole case and decide it is incredible is not fair.
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"Canadian immigration officials have suggested the Chapmans may have been turned back because they lacked the necessary work permit."
I think that's the real fact of the matter and the thing about his daughter is either false or blown out of proportion.
After all it doesn't say what he intended to do when he got to Canada.
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rayyz, you can find it odd... but this is a requirement.. and yes, it is possible that this couple would like to take an advantage of FREE Health system of Canada. F-R-E-E!!!
I don’t want now to accuse or suspect this family.. but my main question is:
- Was the Immigration Office aware of Lucy’s disability prior to granting the visa to this family?
And most likely the answer would be NO. So this is the issue. By the way it could happen this way, that the Immigration Office would has granted the Visa anyway, even taking into consideration the girl’s disability. But the problem popped up AFTER landing, the officer was not aware of such issue, that’s why probably she couldn’t take a risk.
Put yourself at her place.
-She sees the disable girl.
-She doesn’t find ANY paper regarding this issue in the Family’s immigration documents.
It is a midnight..What does she suppose to do?
Again, the Family must have claimed this problem while applying for the immigration!! This problem could be resolved (this way or another) on the earlier stage.
And you cannot just say ”ah.. the girl is disable, and they didn’t let her in! Such a shame!”. For anything in this world should be a system and certain procedure! As I said before, people must be HONEST with what they claim. But it looks like this family didn’t mention the girl’s disability while applying for the visa.
so who to blame?
RP - you're confusing a country not letting people with disabilities come and live there with a country discriminating against disabled people who already live there.
How is that overrated bullcrap?? Canada has loads of laws to protect the disabled, and it lead the UN in establishing the rights of the disabled in the Charter of Human Rights.
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KH - of course we should dig into it and doubt its credibility. The newspaper was making a big deal out of the 'disability' issue, but it seems they did not have (or at least did not print) the full story.
If everyone took everything they read at face value the world would be a sorry place. Just look at some of the crap that gets posted on QL cos someone got forwarded an email about mobile phones being genetically modified so they bite your head off while talking on them (or something like that).
Gypsy.. Thats fair enough.. going and helping the sick at their place and welcoming them home are different.lol
Gypsy:
Canada DOES NOT discriminate against disabled people at all. In fact Canada was the country that lead the UN in establishing Human Rights laws that protect people with disabilities and ensure them the same rights as others.
Do I smell, overrated bias bull-crap?
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UOIT is the University of Ontario Institute of Technology and it's located in Oshawa, Ontario. Approx. a 16 or 17 hour drive from Miller's Lake, Nova Scotia.
That's a hell of a commute. So if this family is trying to enter Nova Scotia to live there with the husband working at UOIT no wonder they were refused. This might have nothing to do with the girl at all.
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Another thing, if immigration at Halifax airport stopped them it's because all the paperwork wasn't in order. So all the medical and what-have you permits should have been completed before they even set foot on a plane out of London. It's wrong to blame the guy at immigration in Canada.
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When people start digging into a report just to question or doubt its credibility.
reporters are not novel writers, they do a lot of funny grammatic and spelling mistakes. but for your info, there is a university called UOIT. so whether it is univerity of Ontario or univerity in Ontario or Ontario University does not make a big deal.
Anyhow, it is the country right to have its own laws.
BUT. Such countries, that attract immigrants, they do it for the sole benefit of the country and not for the beautiful eyes of the immigrants. They seek immigrants who are like milky cows that are guaranteed to produce milk more than the food and water it consumes. It seems that they consider the disabled girl as a burden on the treasury and the tax payers.
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Canada DOES NOT discriminate against disabled people at all. In fact Canada was the country that lead the UN in establishing Human Rights laws that protect people with disabilities and ensure them the same rights as others.
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Thanks for the insight Molly. Sounds like the family were trying to pull a fast one. How much money and time will now be wasted in the courts?
well as per angelman's disease if all those behaviour are proven, any immigration may have the right to stop entry.
I think I've discovered the secret of life - you just hang around until you get used to it. ~Charles Schulz
LOL Arien. Your's should've been the first answer. That would've kept me quiet.
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2800 QL Points
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of the whole country in terms of Disabled persons? I would presume that even with the locals of Canada, disabled persons are discriminated in a way!
It just good to note that racism can not be an issue here because the party involved were British. Imagine the scenario if they were of different nationality, maybe the discussion here is more heated.
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
Sucks..
To conrtibute like Tallg said .. let them enter good cows whom they can milk enough.
I think it sounds like she's being refused on a technicality and that more then likely they will win in court.
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they may have well known but I would also say they seemed like nice folks in the brief time I met them. They didn't have their daughter with them at the time and I do recall them saying she had a minor disability that wasn't highly visible, whatever they meant by that I don't know as you don't pry into people's private affairs. I trust our Government in this regard even though they do major screw-ups quite often. I think there may be some unanswered questions that will all come out eventually.
I looked up the health requirements and Angelman's disease; Angleman's disease is a life-long disease characterized by sudden movements, epileptic seizures and fits of uncontrollable laughter. It is also genetic and if she has a child the child will also have Angleman's.
Here are the laws for immigration:
When determining whether any person is inadmissible on medical grounds, the medical officer is obliged to consider the nature, severity or probable duration of any health impairment from which the person is suffering as well as other factors, such as:
Danger of contagion;
Unpredictable or unusual behaviour that may create a danger to public safety; and
The supply of social or health services that the person may require in Canada and whether the use of such services will deprive Canadian nationals of these services.
*It should be noted that people with Angelman's also have to have lifelong physiotherapy, and there is a lack of certified physiotherapists and long waiting lists in Canada now for that. so....
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Good morning Raj4u! That was quite philosophical :)
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2800 QL Points
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This article is a real eye opener to many like me who don't quite know the true picture behind the leading countries of the world today.
Iam at loss to explain my emotions and am sorry to note that these things happen in the leading countries.
Remember, its not the years that count, but the life in the years lived.
How dare ya refuse entry to yer colonial masters. Dont ya know who yer messing with...these people are British damn you !
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Who knows Rayyz. But if what MollyfromCanada says is true, then these people knew they weren't going to get in anyway.
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It seems to me that the visa consultgants screwed something up...
Officer shifts change at 2300 HRS at Halifax airport. He must've had a fight with his wife and something similar for all those who were involved in refusing the entry. :)
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How long does it take to teach the letter "F"? Any pre-requisits?
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and I know there's a whole lot more to the story unfortunately so will reserve my outrage until the facts are all out there. I also met this couple when they were scouting out Canada as a place to come through a friend who found them their land out on the Lake. They were very clear that although a new ruling had been made regarding disabled immigrants they "knew" they would not meet inclusion criteria for their daughter but they would come anyway and to quote them, "fight it out in court and on the public stage" so maybe it's not as cut and dried as it appears.
I agree, but did the immigration officer who was working the night shift (that particular flight from London gets in at 12:00 am) know all that?
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Agreed every country has a right to restrict anyone the like as per laws defined. However, I find it very odd that laws should be in place to stop diabled from entering. I suppose least humans could do is give home and perhaps some facilities to the less fortunate ones.
Gypsy : In this particular case, I have my doubts whether a family of four would actually move from UK to Canada to take advantage of Universal Health system. They've bought plot worth 140,000 pounds and after selling that 4 bedroom apartment they've still got 450,000+ in reserve.
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2800 QL Points
Way to go Ray!
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Yes...never a truer word said in jest and all that...
I guess thats the reason why we get the specialist teachers from there to teach at CNA-Q
LOL...I am off to teach the letter 'F' now... one a day like a mulitvitimin!
I just tried to find this in the Halifax Herald and there was no story at all....which is unlike Canada cause we usually like to report on our government screw-ups. Curiouser and Curiouser. I'd like to know which lawyer they hired.
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Gypsy said:
That was actually my frist thought Oryx. My mother's families from the area of Miller's Lake, so I know for a fact that the place is overrun with the mentally disabled.
i always knew that you had some kind of impairment and learning disability. You definitely confirm my theories about you.
LOL
this is the point. that's why every person who applies for the immigration/work or even sometimes for the VISITOR visa is asked to pass the medical test. Nothing wrong with that. Every country in the world do it..
at the end of the day every country has rights to grant visa to some particular person or not... and they even don't have to give any explanation..but you have to be honest with what you claim, then you will stay out of troubles..
It's the same thing with co-called "professional Immigration". One of the factors that the applicants are given points for is the proficiency in one (or both) of the official languages in Canada, either french or English. While filling up the applications, people claim the highest level of such proficiency. And based on their claim the maximum points for this factor is given to the applicant (which is 24 for both languages). Then, when it comes to the point of proof, they are sent to pass an IELTS test, and French test, and they cannot gain even 8-10 points.. they start accuse canada in discrimination… but hey guys. This is a requirement.. if you do not meet the requirements either do not apply, or at least go and improve your English/French skills. Sometimes ppl have up to TWO years till they are asked for the language test results, but they are so lazy, that don’t bother to go and take any English/French courses during these 2 years.. and then they start blaming Canada… not nice attitude, I would say..
@rayyz - Probably because a disabled person is likely to be a drain on the country's resources, rather than contributing to it.
Whether you think that's right or not, I believe a country is allowed to prevent whoever it wants from entering, for whatever reason.
We have laws against people with contagious diseases and genetic disabilities. Mostly it refers to people who might be coming in just to take advantage of the Universal Healthcare system. The parents may not have been entirely forthcoming about the girls problems.
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Good point Qatarisun, there is no Ontario University, especially not in Miller's Lake Nova Scotia (the province of Ontario being some 16 hours away).
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If they were hiding facts then they're obviously crazy to hire a lawyer and fight it out in court.
However, my point still remains what's the reason behind this law? Oryx gave a suggestion, is the that real reason?
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Yep, reading between the lines, it definitely sounds like all the paper work wasn't in order. The newspapers have just jumped on the 'disabled' angle for a bit of sensationalism, despite the fact that Canada's policy of not allowing people with disabilities to enter and live there had existed for a while, so the papers could have run with it any time previously.
There are few things that don’t come along… first of all, based on the immigration rules they had to make their medical examination prior to receiving their Residence Visa (or work permit) , and of course prior to landing. If all the immigration papers including the medical results were all right, no one would have rights to stop them on the border...But..
I noticed two things here.
1. there is NO such University in Canada as Ontario University. There is University of Western Ontario, but not Ontario University. You know, when the author of the article makes this kind of mistakes, you start doubting all other facts..
2. The parents never mentioned that medical examination has been done before getting visa and landing. For me it might mean that they could hide the fact of Lucy's disability on purpose. And here is the law No.1 of Immigration Office in Canada: They trust you until you got caught. Once you got caught lying, hiding, forget about immigration to Canada....
...there is something else here that we don't know..
for your country, Gypsy. Hope it's an isolated case of "discrimination"
"dgoodrebel will always be the rebellious good one"
LOL Oryx
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So cutting through all the guff, the issue boils down to some boarder guards hadn't been informed about a change in law? Not really a story, is it?
That was actually my frist thought Oryx. My mother's families from the area of Miller's Lake, so I know for a fact that the place is overrun with the mentally disabled. :P
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Maybe they are full up with their home grown variety..esp in Nova Scotia..
seems a bit harsh...
Dear God, That's my home province! I'm truly disgusted and apologize for my country. :(
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