Laibar Singh Airport Action Dec 10

This video is in remembrance of our victories and commitment to continued resistance on the anniversary of the stopped deportation of Laibar Singh December 10, 2007.

Laibar Singh "Returned" to India in 2008. In a statement released by his legal counsel Peter Edelmann to media via No One Is Illegal "Mr. Laibar Singh intends to present himself to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for removal to India. On a number of recent occasions agents from CBSA have attended at the Abbortsford Gurudwara- despite the clear indication that it was a sanctuary zone- to tell Mr. Singh that there was no chance for him to remain in Canada. Mr. Singh continues to hope that the Canadian government will allow him to remain on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, but is no longer able to endure this state of limbo. He is thankful to all his supporters for their kindness."

As supporters who have been close to this struggle for over a year and a half, we are deeply saddened by his choice to leave, but we are affirming how important that choice is in a context of such immense legal, social, cultural and political barriers including extreme fear, isolation, harassment, marginalization, smear tactics, intense scrutiny, psychological torture, constant threat of incarceration and deportation, self-doubt about 'being a burden' and 'tarnishing the community's/supporters image', and overwhelming precarity. Laibar has faced those barriers with unwavering courage and we are honoured to have been a part of his struggle. Even under circumstances of extreme physical duress and what seemed like a legal impossibility, Mr. Singh dared to demand that his dignity and that his right to exist as a human being be recognized. For this, we should commend him.

And for their refusal, we should condemn a government that insists on treating racialized migrants as expendable commodities. We should condemn a government that is particularly insistent on deporting a paralyzed man who has immense community support in order to make 'an example' out of him for any other individual or community of supporters that dares to defy the deportation machine.

While feeling extremely angry and saddened, we cannot let ourselves feel defeated and demobilized, which would merely serve the interests of the government. If anything, this highlights to us the importance of continuing to organize -- with greater dedication and commitment -- alongside migrants in their struggle for self-determination which is consistently denied through the violence of the detention/ deportation state apparatus and the accompanying regulation of their lives, labour, and security.

All Power to the People!
No One Is Illegal!

Excerpt from http://noii-van.resist.ca/?p=917

[Cannot make out megaphone.
Protesters chanting and drumming...]

[Reporter] The planned deportation today
of a paralyzed refugee claimant

turned into a huge protest
that tied up Vancouver airport.

[Reporter] A massive demonstration at YVR

managed to do what a legal challenge
and political appeal could not:

stop the deportation of a quadriplegic man
who entered Canada using a forged passport.

[Newscaster] The rallying continues for Laibar Singh,

and in toronto dozens of local supporters

came out in a show of solidarity
for the paralyzed refugee.

They gathered to help stop Singhs deportation
by Canadian Border Services.

[Harpreet Dipak] They can try all the want

because even if they try, we're still going to be here

and we're still going to support,

because Mr Laibar Singh is not the only one
that is going through this issue,

there's other immigrants as well.

[Reporter] When you first arrive at the airport,

the first thing you see
is a sea of people gathered

outside the international
departure area at the airport.

More than a thousand people
crowded around a taxi cab,

inside that cab, Laibar Singh,

a paralyzed man who entered
the country illegally in 2003.

Now the crowd was there
to stop his deportation,

they were chanting and yelling,

chanting things like "shame on Canada!"

"shame on Canada!", "let him stay!"

[cannot make out megaphone over music]

[Harjap Grewal, NOII] When you have an application
called the Humanitarian and Compassionate Application,

and that application does not allow a paralyzed man
that cannot take care of himself to stay in the country,

um, why would you believe
in the immigration system?

[Harsha Walia, NOII] There is still time
for the Canadian government to respond

to the demands of thousands of people

who are demanding that this
absolutely unjust deportation be stopped.

And let us be clear
to the Conservative government:

we don't want another one month stay,

another two month stay,

another four month stay.

Laibar Singh has been through enough.

He has been through enough,

and it is time for him
to remain in Canada permanently.

[can't make out megaphone over music...]

[speaker] ... I never thought we were going to
celebrate this day, International Human Rights Day...

...this is a black spot on the Canadian government...

...more than 35,000 people have signed a petition...
[can't make out over megaphone]

It's not a localized BC issue,
but it's a Canada wide issue.

In fact, Canadians across the country

support immigrant struggle
for permanent status in Canada,

that people recognize disabled people's
rights to remain in Canada.

....well the cops already said no,
that they're not going to come down,

but we're just waiting for the government.

[Harsha Walia] The Canadian Border Services Agency

has stated that the deportation
of Mr Laibar Singh today will not proceed.

He does not have a deportation date
as of this date,

and Mr Laibar Singh is being released
back into the community.

[reporter] What's the next step?
What's happening now?

[Walia] Uh, again, it's up to the government,

the government has the ability to stop
the deportation on a permanent basis.

[reporter] And with yet another stay
of his deportation achieved,

Laibar Singh and his supporters
headed back to Abbotsford [a suburb]

to await another showdown
with Canadian government officials.

[high energy music, drumming...]