International students remain in church refuge
Misunderstanding about off-campus jobs cost students a year of classes
REGINA — More than 10 months have passed since two University of Regina international students, facing deportation, took refuge in Regina churches.
Monday marked the last day of classes at the U of R and supporters of the two students raised the issue with the government.
Kay Adebogun, who’s representing Victoria Ordu and Ihuoma Favour Amadi, said the students have missed an entire year of classes because their case has yet to be resolved.
“They are hanging in there,” he said about the students.
On Monday, NDP MLA Warren McCall called on the government to find a resolution. Gordon Wyant, minister of justice and attorney general for Saskatchewan, said he hopes to have some answers by the end of the week.
He told reporters he met with his federal counterpart Vic Toews about the case last week. “(Toews) agreed that he would take it up with (Immigration Minister Jason) Kenney,” said Wyant. “I will hopefully be able to follow up with (Toews) later this week to determine what discussions he’s had with Minister Kenney.”
Wyant said the province has taken the position the transgressions committed by the two students were trivial.
As part of their visas, international students like Ordu — who is studying theatre arts — and Amadi — international studies — are able to work on campus.
Both were in Canada on full scholarships paid for by the Nigerian government. Ordu and Amadi went to Service Canada and got their social insurance numbers when they arrived in 2010, ending up working at the university.
In 2011, Amadi found a part-time job at Walmart and Ordu at an agency that does demonstrations at the store.
Both were under the misapprehension they were allowed to work off campus. Ordu quit after two weeks, as soon as she found out that wasn’t the case. Amadi was led away from her till in handcuffs by two CBSA agents. On June 19 the pair, fearing deportation, sought sanctuary in a Regina church.