Panel Discussion during the Launching of the Vigil Campaign act.
Monthly Archives: March 2014
Integrity
To all my friends in Canada:
I ask for your kindly support for my friend Oscar Vigil. I know him over 8 years and I can give faith of his integrity. Please join his campaign to stay in Canada, sign the petition, and share this post along your contacts.
Thank you,
Alejandro Segura
Hope, justice and the support of many friends: the Vigil Campaign is underway
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- Oscar Vigil, at the launching act of the Vigil Campaign
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- Over 100 people joined us at the The Holy Trinity Church, in Toronto
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- Signing the petition
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- Signing the petition
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- Signing the petition
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- Signing the petition
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- Signing the petition
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- Everyone helped
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- Stephen Foster (left) explained the legal aspects of the case
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- Oscar Vigil and Francisco Rico
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- Francisco Rico and Michelle Millard
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- Loli Rico
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- Pupusas and other great Salvadorian food
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- Pupusas and other great Salvadorian food
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- Pupusas and other great Salvadorian food
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- Pupusas and other great Salvadorian food
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- Pupusas and other great Salvadorian food
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- Alfredo Barahona
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- John Carlaw, Geraldine Sadoway and Stephen Foster
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- The support of the Dominican community
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- Maria Ofelia Navarrete, Deputy Minister of the Interior of El Salvador
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- Maria Ofelia Navarrete, Deputy Minister of the Interior of El Salvador, and Francisco Rico
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- Maria Ofelia Navarrete, Deputy Minister of the Interior of El Salvador
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- Fundraising
Michelle Millard and Francisco Rico
By Rebeka Lauks
On March 24th, 2014, Francisco Rico-Martinez of the FCJ Refugee Centre and Michelle Millard of York University welcomed over 100 individuals to the official launch of the Vigil Campaign at the Church of the Holy Trinity. The Vigil Campaign has come together in support of Oscar Vigil, a loving husband, caring father, and valued member of the community.
Oscar and his family came to Canada in 2001 seeking refugee protection. While his wife and three children have all now received Canadian citizenship, Oscar has spent the last 13 years in legal status limbo and is now being threatened with deportation back to El Salvador. It is for this reason that the Vigil Campaign is presently mobilizing to increase public support for his case and to pressure the Minister to grant relief to Oscar so that he may remain in Canada with his family.
Presenting the Vigil Campaign at the Oscar Romero Commemoration
Francisco Rico, Co-director of the FCJ Refugee Centre, presents the Vigil Campaign at the Monsignor Oscar Romero Commemoration in Toronto.
Launching the Vigil Campaign
The Vigil Campaign is officially taking off today!
Come and learn about the problem of national security and “inadmissibility” in the refugee context.
- The place: The Holy Trinity Church, 10 Trinity Square, Toronto (West of the Eaton Centre).
- The time: 6:00 pm
Thank you everyone for your beautiful words of solidarity and support.
Looking forward to seeing all of you.
Here it is the program for today:
An asset to Canadian culture
I have known Oscar for several years and he has my support and friendship. He is a decent character who is truly an asset to Canadian culture. He belongs here in this great country.
Alfonso Carcamo
His family and friends need him around
Let Oscar Vigil stay in Canada. He belongs here and he has so greatly contributed in the field of human rights advocacy, international justice, etc. Plus, his family and friends need him around.
Emmanuel Nkurunziza
Signing the petition at Monsignor Romero Commemoration
Click on the images to enlarge.
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- Signing the petition at Monsignor Romero Commemoration
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- Signing the petition at Monsignor Romero Commemoration
You can also sign the petition here. Thank you.
“Does Ottawa believe the Salvadoran government is terrorist?”
Under that sharp headline, Matthew Behrens publishes today at rabble.ca a very interesting and well documented article about the situation of Oscar Vigil and the double standard that is some times present in Canada’s immigration system.
You can read the whole article here. These are some excerpts:
[…] Against this backdrop, two Salvadorans who refused to participate in the U.S.- and Canadian-backed terrorist regime that ruled the country during the 1980s — and who, like thousands of their fellow Salvadorans, became associated with the FMLN — are now facing a Kafkaesque immigration nightmare. At the same time as Canada recognizes the FMLN government in San Salvador, it is trying to deport long-time Canadian residents Oscar Vigil of Toronto and Jose Figueroa of Langley, B.C., because of their former membership in the FMLN, claiming it is an organization “that there are reasonable grounds to believe engages, has engaged or will engage in acts” that include “espionage,” “terrorism,” and “subversion by force of any government.” […]
It is Canada’s loss to lose you
In the last 13 years you have given so much to Canada. You have been the perfect citizen and it will be Canada’s loss to lose you.
Vilma Filici