Trucker denied bid to remain in Canada
Serving sentence in Humboldt Broncos crash
• Jaskirat Singh Sidhu's lawyer says his client is “devastated” by the news that his submission to the Canada Border Services Agency to stay in the country after serving his prison sentence has been rejected.
A spokesperson for the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) of Canada confirmed the information on Wednesday. The matter has been referred to the immigration division for an admissibility hearing, which would make the decision on deportation, but it has not yet been scheduled.
Sidhu was sentenced on March 22, 2019, to eight years in prison, after pleading guilty to 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm. He is also banned from driving for 10 years after his release from custody.
A criminal conviction that carries a sentence of more than six months makes a permanent resident ineligible to remain in the country.
Michael Greene, a Calgary-based immigration lawyer, sent paperwork to the CBSA in 2021 arguing Sidhu should be allowed to stay.
Greene sent that paperwork before the CBSA produced a report recommending whether Sidhu should be deported.
The CBSA decided to refer Sidhu to the IRB for an admissibility hearing. The hearing has not yet been scheduled and he is not currently subject to a deportation order.
Greene said he is considering challenging the CBSA decision in federal court. If unsuccessful, Sidhu, who has permanent resident status, will be required to return to India when his sentence is complete. He immigrated to Canada in 2013.
On April 6, 2018, Sidhu drove into the path of a charter bus at a rural Saskatchewan intersection, killing 16 members of the Humboldt Broncos Junior Hockey team and injuring 13 others. Sidhu said he was distracted by a loose tarp on his double trailer and missed five highway-related signs, including the stop sign at highways 35 and 335.
Court heard he had been driving for only three weeks at the time of the crash. Sidhu spoke in court to say the tragedy was a result of his inexperience.