A woman from Sainte-Adèle no longer knows where to go to repatriate her mother, who has been stuck in Cuba since the beginning of the month, because she has not renewed her permanent residence.
“The embassies are passing the buck and after more than 60 hours of waiting on the phone lines we still have no news. We filled out tons of paperwork, contacted MPs and collected the necessary papers, but nothing,” says Janie Bonneau, overwhelmed by the situation.
After seven days of vacation under the sun from Varadero, Évelyne Milor was supposed to be on a return flight with Air Canada on March 2nd. However, he was denied promotion.
“My mother is not a Canadian citizen, but she has lived in Quebec for 60 years. Unfortunately, her permanent resident card had expired and she was held up at the airport,” explains Ms. Bonneau.
Wrong information
Janie Bonneau regrets that she did not do a better job of examining the recommendations to return to the country. Before leaving, however, she had checked with a travel agent.
“My mother is used to keeping her papers in order. She was concerned that her expired permanent resident status would cause her problems. That’s why we consulted our travel agency,” says Ms. Bonneau.
According to her, the travel agency assured them that the permanent resident card was not necessary to travel to Cuba and that their French passport would suffice. Ms Bonneau’s mother, Évelyne Milor, nonetheless insisted on bringing her birth certificate and other proof of identity so that everything was in order.
“We don’t want to blame anyone. Maybe the travel agent just didn’t know. But how come my mother wasn’t alerted at the Montreal airport when she was leaving?” asks her daughter.
No news
The 63-year-old has been stuck in Cuba for nine days. Authorities don’t seem to be able to tell her when she can return home.
“I don’t know which door to knock on anymore. I’ve already contacted MPs, the Embassy, Global Affairs Canada… But I have no news. It doesn’t make sense that my mother is still here,” laments Janie Bonneau, her throat tight.
A Good Samaritan has agreed to take the 60-year-old in Havana, Cuba, until things calm down. A solution that relieves the family, but which can only last temporarily.
“At least we know she has a roof over her head. But again, Havana is not a very safe place. We had to find someone to insure it, but nobody wanted to do it. She can’t leave the house. It is certain that she is afraid,” says Ms. Bonneau.
By telling her mother’s story, Janie Bonneau hopes to move things forward and prevent similar situations.
“I just want them to put my mother on a plane and bring her back to me. I’m so worried, I just want her back. After that, we will be able to face the consequences,” she emphasizes.
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