Pat takes on Deportations in the Citizen

Posted by on Mar 18, 2013 in Media

Pat takes on Deportations in the Citizen

Shoddy immigration gets an F grade

By Patricia Howard, Ottawa Citizen
March 18, 2013 11:34 AM

Re: Little Italy Bakery owner allowed to remain in Canada, March 12.

It’s hard to believe the cruelty described in the story about this Italian man, Massimo Marti, here on a visitor’s visa, whose family had been deported earlier in March – and himself nearly so – because his work permit applications contained mistakes.

So much pain and misery, so much humiliation, and all so unnecessary.

Why all the suspicion? Why so much meanness on the part of officialdom these days?

His wife, Vittoria Toscano, and four children, two of them born in Canada, were deported back to Italy, while he was stopped in his vehicle and taken away in handcuffs. Handcuffs? Then, of course, he had to get a lawyer, who blamed it all on “illegal consultants” Marti used – because, as we all know, no one can seemingly talk to the Immigration department.

The story says this poor man, obviously a contributor, not a taker, must wait a year to get his family back. Why? A year is a long time in the life of a child. And spouses should not be separated for that long.

It’s shoddy. It’s disgraceful. Immigration gets an F.