NoodleNewt
Well-known member
A 28-year-old refugee applicant from Bangladesh, Mahin Shahriar, has found himself trapped at a US immigration detention facility after claiming he crossed the border by mistake. According to his lawyer, Washim Ahmed, Canada's border services agency is failing to assist in bringing him back.
Shahriar's ordeal began when he was invited by a friend to visit a property near Montreal, which he suspects may have been part of a human trafficking operation. He soon found himself lost and unable to find the property, leading him to cross into the US by mistake. When he realized his error, Shahriar approached immigration officials who detained him.
However, unlike recent cases where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials blocked attempts to repatriate individuals to Canada, Ahmed claims that it is actually the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that is hampering Shahriar's return. "It's not that CBSA isn't accepting him – it's that they won't even respond to us at all," said Ahmed.
Under the safe third country agreement, Canada is required to bring Shahriar back because he was detained by border officials within 14 days of illegally entering the US. Even if the CBSA did not invoke the agreement in this case, an exception could still apply, according to Ahmed.
Shahriar's lawyer has turned to the federal courts and petitioned Canada's public safety minister for assistance in a unique case where Shahriar is entitled to return to Canada due to his refugee claimant status. However, the CBSA remains silent, saying that it does not comment on specific cases and does not intervene on behalf of foreign nationals subject to immigration enforcement in another country.
Shahriar's detention has taken a toll on his mental health, with his mother, who holds permanent residency in Canada, being hospitalized multiple times for severe mental health issues exacerbated by her son's prolonged detention. Ahmed is calling the case "profoundly disappointing" and urging Canadian officials to do what they are legally obliged to do – bring Shahriar back to Canada.
As a failed refugee applicant, Shahriar was eligible for pre-removal risk assessment due to his mother's successful claim. However, ICE has deemed him at risk in Bangladesh, but Ahmed is confident that Canadian officials will see the dangers he faces if he is deported there. The case highlights the complexities of international cooperation and the need for agencies like CBSA to facilitate the return of individuals who are entitled to do so under Canadian law.
Shahriar's ordeal began when he was invited by a friend to visit a property near Montreal, which he suspects may have been part of a human trafficking operation. He soon found himself lost and unable to find the property, leading him to cross into the US by mistake. When he realized his error, Shahriar approached immigration officials who detained him.
However, unlike recent cases where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials blocked attempts to repatriate individuals to Canada, Ahmed claims that it is actually the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) that is hampering Shahriar's return. "It's not that CBSA isn't accepting him – it's that they won't even respond to us at all," said Ahmed.
Under the safe third country agreement, Canada is required to bring Shahriar back because he was detained by border officials within 14 days of illegally entering the US. Even if the CBSA did not invoke the agreement in this case, an exception could still apply, according to Ahmed.
Shahriar's lawyer has turned to the federal courts and petitioned Canada's public safety minister for assistance in a unique case where Shahriar is entitled to return to Canada due to his refugee claimant status. However, the CBSA remains silent, saying that it does not comment on specific cases and does not intervene on behalf of foreign nationals subject to immigration enforcement in another country.
Shahriar's detention has taken a toll on his mental health, with his mother, who holds permanent residency in Canada, being hospitalized multiple times for severe mental health issues exacerbated by her son's prolonged detention. Ahmed is calling the case "profoundly disappointing" and urging Canadian officials to do what they are legally obliged to do – bring Shahriar back to Canada.
As a failed refugee applicant, Shahriar was eligible for pre-removal risk assessment due to his mother's successful claim. However, ICE has deemed him at risk in Bangladesh, but Ahmed is confident that Canadian officials will see the dangers he faces if he is deported there. The case highlights the complexities of international cooperation and the need for agencies like CBSA to facilitate the return of individuals who are entitled to do so under Canadian law.
this guy is literally stuck in detention and his mum is going thru a mental breakdown 
because Canada isn't stepping up to help him out? Like, where's the empathy? Where's the compassion? It's not like he meant to cross the border by mistake, it's just that things got messed up 
. The fact that the CBSA is being so unresponsive and not even communicating with his lawyer is just ridiculous 
. This whole situation is a huge fail 
especially considering the fact that Shahriar has a refugee claimant status and is entitled to return to Canada 
.
! Shahriar's situation is literally heartbreaking 
. I mean, he was just trying to visit his friend and ended up getting stuck in the US 
. And now his mom is even hospitalized 
.
They're literally saying they won't comment on specific cases, but that doesn't mean they can just ignore the guy 
. Shahriar's refugee claimant status and all... it's like, he's literally stuck between two countries 
. And ICE is just sitting there, saying nothin' 
.
. It's like, they need to get this guy back to Canada ASAP 
. For Shahriar's mental health, and for his mom's sake... it's just not right 
.
.
, meanwhile his mom is getting hospitalized like crazy because she's been waiting for her son to come home 
. I mean, Canada's gotta do better here, they're literally violating their own laws and leaving this guy stuck in limbo 
, so it's not like canada is struggling with a huge influx of refugees 
.
. which is pretty interesting, since we know that the conditions in bangladesh are super harsh 
. and yet, canada's not doing enough to help these people who are literally trying to escape their country's problems 
.
: 
And now his mom's mental health is suffering because she can't visit him? That's just not right 
. If Shahriar is entitled to return to Canada due to his refugee claimant status, then why can't CBSA just cooperate? 
.
. I'm rooting for Shahriar's lawyer, Washim Ahmed, to get this resolved soon 
. We can't have people stuck in detention forever, especially not when they're entitled to return home 
.
mahin shahriar gets stuck in the us because canada's not helping him get back 
i'd draw a simple diagram of a person (mahin) in a circle (canada) with an arrow pointing to the us 
we need to do better as a global community to support refugees and asylum seekers 
The fact that the CBSA won't even respond to Shahriar's lawyer or offer any assistance is just... 
anyway his mom is literally dying from stress cuz her son is stuck there 
the case is kinda crazy but i guess it's highlighting how messed up the international cooperation is 
hospitalizations of his mom cuz of his detention are a result of the bsa's silence.