Earlier this week, we posted a blog about the film “The Visitor” which is about the hardships a family involved in US deportation proceedings. There is now a Canadian version in the form of a CBC documentary called “Seeking Refuge”.
The documentary is about the real life stories of four refugee claimants who escape persecution to find a new life in Canada and their struggles.
The documentary follows Esly, who is escaping persecution, sexual abuse, and death threats after her husband was murdered in her home country of Honduras; Nadjia, an Afgani human rights activist whose life is in danger; Leyla and her daughter escaping sexual abuse in the Congo; and Fouad, a Palestinian who has fallen through the cracks of the system.
Their stories are captivating, and truly encapsulate the difficulties in terms of processing times and general legal challenges that some Canadian immigrants and refugees face when attempting to gain legal status in Canada. At our Toronto immigration office we encounter many sad tales of hardship and persecution. Sometimes the legal solution is to file a Humanitarian and Compassionate Application; sometimes it is to make a refugee claim. Either way, be prepared to deal with the system which can be a frustrating experience.
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.
