International Student in Québec for 3 years, seeking refuge here.

[Dyscharge123]

Hi, my name is Abdoul, I was born in Senegal(West Africa), and raised in the United States and a few other places.

I came to Canada with a valid study permit, visa, etc. I've been living here and studying making a life for myself. The longer I lived here, the more alienated I felt from my home country. My father is a diplomat, and is implicated with our corrupt government, which made my family back home a target during riots. I have left the religion of Islam, I have tattoos, and I have very liberal views, which are things that could seriously harm me if I go back.

I originally wanted to eventually obtain a PGWP, but my parents funds are running low, and they may not have the money to pay until the end of my studies. If I go back to Africa, there is nothing for me there. Our government is broken, I would not be able to find employment because of my views, atheism, tattoos, and inability to speak the language.

Is there a chance a lawyer could help me build a strong case for myself? I fit in perfectly in Canada, speak English and French, and am culturally already assimilated, I don't know if that would help. Thank you.

 

[scylla]

Hi, my name is Abdoul, I was born in Senegal(West Africa), and raised in the United States and a few other places.

I came to Canada with a valid study permit, visa, etc. I've been living here and studying making a life for myself. The longer I lived here, the more alienated I felt from my home country. My father is a diplomat, and is implicated with our corrupt government, which made my family back home a target during riots. I have left the religion of Islam, I have tattoos, and I have very liberal views, which are things that could seriously harm me if I go back.

I originally wanted to eventually obtain a PGWP, but my parents funds are running low, and they may not have the money to pay until the end of my studies. If I go back to Africa, there is nothing for me there. Our government is broken, I would not be able to find employment because of my views, atheism, tattoos, and inability to speak the language.

Is there a chance a lawyer could help me build a strong case for myself? I fit in perfectly in Canada, speak English and French, and am culturally already assimilated, I don't know if that would help. Thank you.

They key to a successful refugee application will be proving persecution / that your life is in danger in your home country.

How culturally assimilated you are doesn't really play into the picture for a refugee application. It's all about why you cannot return to your home country and being able to show evidence to prove this.

It may be a good idea for you to speak with a lawyer to assess what your chances may be and if you have strong enough grounds and evidence for a successful case.

You could look into the destitute student open work permit. However I believe you would need to prove that something significant has changed which has impacted your ability to fund your studies (e.g. collapse of financial systems in your home country). https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...oreign-workers/humanitarian-reasons-r208.html

 

[Dyscharge123]

They key to a successful refugee application will be proving persecution / that your life is in danger in your home country.

How culturally assimilated you are doesn't really play into the picture for a refugee application. It's all about why you cannot return to your home country and being able to show evidence to prove this.

It may be a good idea for you to speak with a lawyer to assess what your chances may be and if you have strong enough grounds and evidence for a successful case.

You could look into the destitute student open work permit. However I believe you would need to prove that something significant has changed which has impacted your ability to fund your studies (e.g. collapse of financial systems in your home country). https://www.canada.ca/en/immigratio...oreign-workers/humanitarian-reasons-r208.html

Thanks for the response.

While I admit that I cannot prove current persecution, I do have evidence that my life would be at risk back home. The Canadian government has the list of all articles pertaining to countries situations, and when I checked mine, there's substantial evidence of atheists being killed, denied government services, and a lack of tolerance for differing political views. My father has also been targeted by the public through riots, because he works in government.

Also, a new presidential candidate is starting to gain a lot of followers in my country, and if he succeeds, he will impose islamic sharia law upon us, in which people like me(non-believers) would suffer extended and harsh jail sentences or execution.

I will call a lawyer tomorrow to get a consultation and figure this out.

 

[scylla]

Thanks for the response.

While I admit that I cannot prove current persecution, I do have evidence that my life would be at risk back home. The Canadian government has the list of all articles pertaining to countries situations, and when I checked mine, there's substantial evidence of atheists being killed, denied government services, and a lack of tolerance for differing political views. My father has also been targeted by the public through riots, because he works in government.

Also, a new presidential candidate is starting to gain a lot of followers in my country, and if he succeeds, he will impose islamic sharia law upon us, in which people like me(non-believers) would suffer extended and harsh jail sentences or execution.

I will call a lawyer tomorrow to get a consultation and figure this out.

The onus will be on you to prove persecution and provide the relevant articles, information on the country situation, etc. The refugee process is all about you making a strong case for yourself. The government will not do this for you at all. It's going to be all up to you. Just wanted to make that clear as you prepare for a possible claim.