A 56-year-old Mexican man living in Quebec, where he has been rebuilding his life for more than four years, is now facing deportation threats from Canada’s Border Patrol and fears he will be found by a cartel if he is brought back to his Country.
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“Having a gun to your head isn’t like in the movies. It eats you up inside, it makes you paranoid. I didn’t know where to go or what to do anymore,” says Jose Carrera with a tremor in his voice, referring to the confiscation he experienced.
The man was working as a translator for oil company Pemex when he said he was approached by the Jalisco New Generation Cartel in 2014.
The members of the cartel would then have seized him and threatened him and his family if he had not acted on their behalf towards those responsible for the oil rigs.
A few months later, they allegedly robbed his home, tied up his sister and her children, and pointed a gun at them during the robbery.
After moving to avoid the cartel, Mr. Carrera turned to Quebec in 2018 to start a new life.
He worked as a mover before being hired as a vacuum cleaner by Sani-Terre, who also offered him a two-year contract a few weeks ago. He even managed to find “the woman of his life”.
“What I like best here is the absence of violence. People are friendly, they thank you for what you do. I’m just happy,” says the man.
But now he has to leave the life he has always dreamed of behind, on November 27 he is threatened with deportation.
No serious risk?
The court responsible for examining his application for refugee status does not consider his application for asylum to be credible.
“The court finds that the applicant has not demonstrated that there is a serious possibility of persecution […] or that he is personally threatened with torture or mortal danger […] if he were to return to Mexico,” reads the decision of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada.
“Should I have had a bullet in the head to have enough evidence? All I want is to live a peaceful and normal life,” complains Mr. Carrera.
application for residence
He and his wife got married in the last few weeks in order to be able to apply for a sponsorship and thus get a permanent place of residence. But the marriage certificate comes with a delay and time is of the essence.
“The labor shortage outweighs the urgency of deporting this man,” said attorney on the case, Maxime Lapointe, who recommended they contact Federal Congressman Gérard Deltell.
“Border services need to be more flexible in enforcement by considering regularization options. Everyone loses when Canada deports a worker. A general suspension of layoffs is necessary,” adds Me Lapointe.
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