Mystery immigrant in immigration detention identified?
About a year ago, we blogged about a “mystery man” who had been in immigration detention in Canada for years because no one could figure out who he was.
He couldn’t be deported by the Canada Border Services Agency because they didn’t know who he was, or what country to deport him to. In addition, he could not be released from immigration detention until he could be deported. Other reasons someone would be held in immigration detention include flight risk or danger to the public, but neither of those seemed to apply in this case.
Formerly identifying himself as Andrea Jerome Walker of the United States, “The Man With No Name” has been determined to be Michael Mvogo of Cameroon. The man said has essentially chosen to live in jail for the last five years rather than be deported by not revealing his identity, as it would have been 32 years since he’s been to Africa and doesn’t know anyone there.
Man cannot be deported from Canada yet
He was initially arrested for possessing $10 worth of crack, and then his U.S. passport was found to be fake. His fingerprints were sent to Interpol in January this year, where they matched Michael Mvogo from an arrest in Spain. Canada and Cameroon still have to investigate this new identity – because the man has already claimed several – before he can be deported from Canada.
Intake
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
