The Human Rights Actions Network - Derechos Human Rights
http://www.derechos.org/human-rights/actions/

Jean Dussault         
Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network

******** URGENT ACTION ***********   
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
has announced a decision on Friday Jan. 10 to deport to Portugal on
Monday Jan. 13, Mr. Helder Marquez, a Toronto prisoner of Portuguese
origin who has lived in Canada for the last 28 years (since he was 5
years old), currently lives with AIDS and schizophrenia, does not speak
Portuguese and has no family in Portugal.

The story was in Saturday's Toronto Sun. A press conference was held at
4:30 Saturday afternoon: Marquez' sister has started a hunger strike in
the prison hall.

PLEASE e-mail the protest letter below, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE to
Immigration Minister Lucienne Robillard at  robill@parl.gc.ca
or fax it to her Cabinet at (613) 957-2688 / Ministry (613) 995-8632.
or call (613) 957-1064 / (613) 995-8632

________________________________________________________________
***URGENT*** ***URGENT*** ***URGENT*** ***URGENT*** ***URGENT***

Hon. Robillard,

I would like to express to you my indignation about your Ministry's
decision (announced Friday afternoon) to deport to Portugal on Monday
Mr. Helder Marquez, a Toronto prisoner of Portuguese origin who has
lived in Canada for the last 28 years (since he was 5 years old),
currently lives with AIDS and schizophrenia, does not speak Portuguese
and has no family in Portugal.

I urge you to personally and urgently deal with this situation and to
revise the inhumane decision to deport him.

At the same time, I would like to bring to your attention an excerpt
from your Ministry's website: «Listen to your heart. Show that you
care»: You send Mr. Marquez away from his family and the country in
which he has lived for 28 years, you send him away to die alone.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Madame la Ministre,

Je tiens a vous exprimer mon indignation face a la decision de votre
ministere (annoncee vendredi apres midi) de deporter lundi vers le
Portugal M. Helder Marquez, un detenu, Torontois d'origine portugaise
qui a vécu au Canada pendant 28 ans (depuis qu'il a 5 ans), qui vit
actuellement avec le sida et la schizophrenie, qui ne parle pas
portugais et n'a plus de famille la-bas.

Je vous exhorte a vous occuper personnellement et urgemment de reviser
cette decision inhumaine.

Je vous y invite, Madame la Ministre, en citant pour vous un extrait du
site web de votre ministere:  «Ecoutez votre coeur». Vous eloignez cet
homme de sa famille: vous l'envoyez a mourir, seul.