Iraq war resister ordered deported from Canada
Posted on 13 August 2008 by Jack
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — One of the first U.S. army deserters from Iraq to seek refugee status in Canada has been ordered deported.Jeremy Hinzman deserted the army in 2004 after learning his unit was to be deployed to Iraq.
He refused to participate in what he calls an immoral and illegal war.
Hinzman fled to Canada along with his wife and son and sought refugee status.
Today, he was ordered out of the country by Sept. 23.
The Immigration and Refugee Board rejected his claim in 2005 and the Federal Court of Appeal held that he wouldn’t face any serious punishment if returned to the United States.
Hinzman took his pleas to the Supreme Court of Canada, which also refused to hear the case.
[Source]
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August 13th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
Is there a PAYPAL address I can send some money to so the War Resisters Support Campaign can buy their staff some anti-depressants? Ha…not likely. Good riddance to another pitiful human being whose personal oath and signature on a contract only mean something until he is expected to walk the walk.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:05 pm
Who cares. He signed up for his fate.
August 13th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
Why does he have until Sept. 23rd? Why isn’t he being escorted to the border as I am typing this?.
mid island mike
August 13th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
Likely because his is not labelled a danger so he is being given time to arrange moving his family’s belongings to the USA, arrange travel for not only himself but his wife and son, probably straighten out matters with his landlord, give notice at his job (if he is working) etc. This is not an unusual procedure for dealing with non-violent deportees. We can still treat them with decency even though we don’t like them and that’s ok with most Canadians I would think. It’s the dangerous ones that deserve absolutely no considerations whatsoever, but sadly enough sometimes even those vermin get kid glove treatment from our immigration authorities.
August 13th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
He should be leaving as you type mid island Mike. What is the holdup? This nasty, sulking kid should be sent HOME to be with his family. Why was he detained so long away from his ‘loved ones’? Canada is doing the right thing - reuniting the wee fella with his family.
August 13th, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Hey beenthere, as you say, it gives him time to get his affairs in order, but it also gives him time to dissapear as many failed refugees are wont to do. In fact have done. These people should be held under lock and key, or ejected from the country forthwith. How many failed refugee claiments are floating around Canada today?? I have no idea, but I would hazard a guess and say thousands upon thousands…..
August 13th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
I hear ya argee. There are upwards of 40,000 missing refugees. But, I would venture to say that not more than a very few of those 40,000 is an American. I would also say that although I don’t have any figures, neither does anybody else for that matter because nobody really knows for sure, but I bet the majority of our missing 40,000 refugees are now in the USA. It’s a lot bigger country to hide in. Also, the vast majority of those missing 40,000 were never ordered deported from Canada like this fella was, it never got that far. They just showed up on our doorstep claiming refugee status, were briefly processed and given a date and time to report back to be interviewed etc and sent out into Canadian society never to be seen again. Had they tried to enter the US thru that country’s ports of entry they would have been stopped dead in their lying tracks. So in order to get into the USA they do it via Canada by abusing our already laughably weak system and then sneak into the USA over our mutual immense relatively unguarded border. I am surprised that the US hasn’t come down hard on our ridiculously lax refugee system (Canada accepts upwards of 70% of refugees compared to 14% for other western nations - says something about our gullibility) as a direct threat to their national security. But that day may be coming someday, perhaps sooner than later.
August 13th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
I like his “helmet”.
Maybe he should try out for the Olympics?
August 13th, 2008 at 11:08 pm
well said beenthere, I do realise that the vast majority of missing refugees are not from the USA, but the possibility of them dissapearing does exist. I absolutely agree with you that Canada is a stop over for so called refugees to slip over the border, and our system is indeed weak, put into place by the Lieberals years ago. This subject is close to home for me, as I am an immigrant to Canada. In the early ’60s I applied for a job in Canada, was accepted, and went to Canada House in Glasgow, with a medical certificate and the job offer, and got the proper papers. My point is, I went through the proper procedure and I firmly believe that this should apply to everyone. I understand that times have changed, but not for the better, good post beenthere