Canadian Passport Worthless in Kenya

[AbdiWahab252]

Toronto lawyer insists test would 'end the debate' about whether stranded Canadian is an imposter


RAVEENA AULAKH
STAFF REPORTER
Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Stymied at every step to rescue his client from a bureaucratic limbo in Nairobi, a Toronto lawyer is now turning to DNA as the last resort.

"It's clear now that fingerprints are pointless," said Raoul Boulakia, lawyer for Suaad Hagi Mohamud.

"So I'm asking them to do DNA testing now. I want DNA testing for her, her husband and son. It's most definitive and ends the debate of who the human being is."

Boulakia, who will be in federal court today to ask the government to bring his client home, also wants Canada to try to stop criminal proceedings against her in Nairobi until DNA testing is completed.

The 31-year-old mother went to Nairobi on April 29 to visit her mother. But when she tried to return May 17, she says a Kenyan officer stopped her at the Nairobi airport for not looking like her four-year-old passport photo.

She spent eight days in jail and was released on bail without any travel papers. Kenyan officials sent her passport to Canadian officials, who said she was an "imposter," then voided the passport and sent it back to Kenya for prosecution.

The Somali-born Mohamud will be in a Nairobi court on Friday.

When Mohamud was detained, she insisted her fingerprints be taken to be verified against ones she gave when she applied for Canadian citizenship.

But on Monday, a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency said fingerprints are not retained once a citizenship application is closed.

Boulakia is hopeful the "mess" can be sorted out quickly now. "Honestly, DNA could move this (case) forward and simplify it. There is no indication otherwise that it's being resolved."

He also had an hour-long conference call with a judge yesterday about the case but said he "couldn't comment on what was discussed."

DNA testing is common for refugees and immigrants to prove family relationships and identity. From 1991 to 2000, DNA testing was used in the cases of almost 8,000 immigrants and refugees entering Canada. Boulakia said it usually takes five days to match DNA samples but only three days if it is expedited. "The big thing here is that a 12-year-old child is without his mother. We need to find answers for him," said Boulakia.

There have been dozens of questions about this case but no answers. During the two months since Mohamud was detained in Nairobi, officials have not said why they can't repatriate her and charge her with a passport offence. They also haven't commented on why they believe she is not who she claims to be. Yesterday, several phone calls and emails to the ministries of foreign affairs and public safety went unanswered. An email from a spokesperson for the Canada Border Services Agency referred the Star to government websites.

Meanwhile, Mohamud said yesterday she had travelled on the same passport to Nairobi twice before in the past four years without any trouble. On the first trip in 2006, she went to Nairobi to visit her dying father. "I first went to Somalia and then flew to Nairobi."

She travelled to Kenya again in November 2007 and returned to Toronto in February last year.

But Mohamud is worried about what will happen in the Nairobi court Friday.

It could mean a jail sentence or even deportation to her lawless native land.

"All I want is to come (home) to my son," she said.

Source: Toronto Star, July 22, 2009

[shaamboo]

woow that is crzy and could happen anyone of us .

specially those who have labo baasaboorka

[AbdiWahab252]

Shaamboo,

Nah, I got my Swahili to save me.

[oldenglish]

This is normal. Especially nataurlized citizens who were ex-refugees and Somali qaxootis.

[Gatspy]

The only thing thats worthless here is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

[COSTA]

Mohamud is worried about deportation to her lawless native land.

"All I want is to come (home) to my son," she said.

Ms Mohamoud Your home is Somalia go back and next time dont mess with Jomo Kenyatta staff

[gedo_gurl]

I hate Kenya wallahi! They do this to Somalis all the bloody time! Those bastards have a serious issue with us...they give me hell EVERYTIME Im at Jomo Kenyatta, once even telling me that I wasnt a student, another time telling me to take off my scarf in public, another time holding me back for 2 hours because I didnt appreciate a joke one of the staff made about Somalis...I could go on and on. This poor woman is being treated this way because she is a Somali with a foriegn passport (they all dream of going abroad like the rest of Africa) and they couldnt stand it, and hoped to God she was a fake. Im so disapointed in the Canadian foriegn office, the British treated me the same way...with indifference. May God bring us back our country so we can have a genuine body to support us.

[FAH1223]

I hate Kenya wallahi! They do this to Somalis all the bloody time! Those bastards have a serious issue with us...they give me hell EVERYTIME Im at Jomo Kenyatta, once even telling me that I wasnt a student, another time telling me to take off my scarf in public, another time holding me back for 2 hours because I didnt appreciate a joke one of the staff made about Somalis...I could go on and on. This poor woman is being treated this way because she is a Somali with a foriegn passport (they all dream of going abroad like the rest of Africa) and they couldnt stand it, and hoped to God she was a fake. Im so disapointed in the Canadian foriegn office, the British treated me the same way...with indifference. May God bring us back our country so we can have a genuine body to support us.

Same thing in Tanzania?

[gedo_gurl]

Tanzanians, Im afraid to inform you FAH, are far more small minded and ignorant than Kenyans, if you ask me, they are savages with two brain cells for the smartest one. So fortunately, its far easier to outsmart them and get away from the shyt they give you. Just tell them you love their country and want to visit the wonderful sites and learn their beautiful language, and how much you prefer them to Kenyans from the get go...and then you just get a giggling chump stamping your visa and off you go. Law enforcement are brutal, but compared to Kenya theyre polite not nowhere near as coniving when it comes to inventing crimes youve committed.

[AbdiWahab252]

Tanzanians, Im afraid to inform you FAH, are far more small minded and ignorant than Kenyans, if you ask me, they are savages with two brain cells for the smartest one. So fortunately, its far easier to outsmart them and get away from the shyt they give you. Just tell them you love their country and want to visit the wonderful sites and learn their beautiful language, and how much you prefer them to Kenyans from the get go...and then you just get a giggling chump stamping your visa and off you go. Law enforcement are brutal, but compared to Kenya theyre polite not nowhere near as coniving when it comes to inventing crimes youve committed.

GedoGurl,

Dang, you killed 'em.

I have had no bad experiences at all with the Kenyans, Tanzanians, at all. We get along just fine

[zulaika]

I blame Harper for all this bullshid...since he took office case like these have been happening. its like they wanna redefine who qualifies as "Canadian"..if you're not "white" automatically you must be fraudulent or something....the ironic twist in this is that it's mostly non-white third world countries that seem to do the bidding for him.

[gedo_gurl]

A/W
I know a lot of the problems Ive had with them (including the general public) is that I was way out of their league. Women get in more trouble than men most of time, men only get in trouble if they dont speak Swahili.

[AbdiWahab252]

GedoGurl,

Come on. I laugh with them and joke with them. Its all gravy especially with the Tanzanians.

[Babygirl-]

AFRICANS

[gedo_gurl]

A/W,

try telling that to the dozen Somalis who are delayed EVERY DAY at these airports, those bastards really hate Somalis, wallahi. My white friend told me that on a random trip she went without me, all they could talk about was Somalis, I find them pathetic on every level...wont stop me from living there, but it will be in a gated community and Ill definitly have car so I dont have to talk to another ignorant taxi driver again.