Sunday. June 7

- North Shore News - 43

lranian refugees pr testi deportations

Refugee
appeals are a
‘crap shoot’

dolanda Waskito
Contributing Writer

THE Iranian commu-
nity held a rally in
Vancouver Friday to
protest the deportation
order of more than

300 of its members.

Another 5700 Tranian
refugees in. BC. are awaiting
decisions on thei starus by the
Immigration and Refugee
Board, Many have been in
Canada for several gears —
some up to seven years. A few
hae Canadian-born children.

Among them ure families.
professionals and single nioth-
ers. None of then want. to
rerum to Tran because thev
fear an) oppressive ruling
regime.

North Vancouver residents
Nader and Farnaz
Samadzadegan live in’ uncer
tainty. The voung couple have
been in Canada tor almost four
years.

They fled [ran after Nader
took part in a political demon-
stration against the govern-
ment. The Iranian government
threw the jeweler in jail, where
he says he was tortured and
held for 30 days.

When they
had te ch:
each month.

mented

xs wel in
was abo the threat of ft
MprisanMAent, Torture
JNCCUUIO

The couple knew many
whe were i the same situa
tion. Phev decided te sec.

“He (Nader) was tornared
and we were very scared.”
Farnaz. 29) sand “We decided
to come here ta save his le.
We vame here tor a sate and
secure Hte and to Ine hke a
norma! persan.”

Farnaz was also victimized
in fran. As is the custom, she
was married offte her firsc hus
band when only 16. Ay she
recalled how her termer has
band had abused her, tears
came to her eves and she
stopped talking ter a few
moments. “Sor she whis-
pered.

Women in fran and other
Islamic cultures are treated as
second-class citizens, Farnaz
said. It’s a country where
women cat even choose the
color of their clothing and
where a 14-year-old: girl was
arrested and dater executed for
reading banned literature, she
said.

The Samadzadegans are
appealing the Immigration and
Refugee Board's refusal to
grant. them refugee status.
Nader said the board doesn’t
believe they are in any danger if
they return re Tran. He said the

Photo Jolanda Waskito

FARNAZ and Nader ot North

Vancouver, are seeking refugee status.

Samadzadegan,

Nadez, 28, sak
Farnas said
stress is overbeariay.
“Tes hard to ine in
‘ Barna said
“You can't le anything. Every

same judge had rejected the
refugee status of many others
v knew pr the franian con

the emorional

want to have a. fair
another judge,”

% va beg
good ouuzens -
reasciy fat ons
relarn
Tf they are forceat to return,
will be thrown fa
the countra dle

nals f they had Gaimed remgee
Status gn ROH Cr COURUY.

Davoud Ghavami, presi
dentoot the franian Refugee
Asseganon oof ELC. sand
Canadians read ta be made
more aware abeut buman
mehts abuses ia fran and the
low turning UYCducrdite
wheels ofthe nimigratien and
Refugee Boord

Gbhavamr sad the board
decides whether to approve
refugee clums depending an
the potecal climate. At the
moment, the federal: govern-
ment is courting the Iranians
to trade with Canada, over-

looking its poor human cights
nd as it did with China, he

vam oalso sakd thar
ONIN (Conadian Security and

HaAtOPS -- ¢
uwvedvemenmt >
opponents of the tranian ges:
crninent, shoas the miuja
hedin or tay Democratic Party

of Kurdistan, a security ask.

Manvouver lawyer Pri
Rankin, whe lives in
InuMigration review cases, said
the svtem | fasers refigees
who have money ta hire 4
Jawyer to argue their case.

“Appointed: legal aid is
not suffient enough 1 do 3
good job, so a fot or people
who are refugee claimants are
losing,” Rankin sad. "Refugee
hearings in Canada have
become oa shoot”
depending on the whim of one
person oon the imnigration
and Retugee Board.

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