Please Give Her Compassion

I cannot help but really feel for this story:

Province: Mom faces deportation over girl’s illness:

Vancouver 24hrs: Please give me compassion:

Hesanna Santiago (left), 44, came to Canada through the federal government’s live-in caregiver program. Under the program, she can apply for immigrant status after completing 24 months of live-in care in 3 years. Mrs. Santiago has done that, and was in the process of being able to bring her family over from the Philippines.

That was until she learned that her 12-year-old daughter Angelika (bottom right) has developed a very serious chronic kidney disease, and requires dialysis as many as six times a day. Immigration officer has told Santiago that her immigration application will be denied because her daughter will put too big of a strain onto Canada’s health care system.

Politicians are quickly jumping on the issue, criticizing the federal government to be cruel and inhumane. Local MP Don Davis quickly criticized the federal government for requiring people in the live-in caregiver program to have to go through two rounds of medical examination, saying that it is unfair because regular immigration applicants only need to have one medical examination.

Make no mistake about it – I feel for Mrs. Santiago, and would plead with the government to treat her with compassion and let her family come over. I also disagree with the fact that a live-in caregiver can fulfil her legal requirements, and then gets denied of what she has worked for because a family member has fallen ill. The policy requires review and changes, there is no question about that. But where are these opposition MPs when the law was first passed? Why did they not voice a complaint back then? I know politicians are, by nature, opportunistic creatures, but please, represent the people, plead for compassion, but don’t use these poor people as your political ammunition – it disturbs me.

To Immigration Minister Jason Kenney – I plead with you to grant Ms. Santiago and her family landed immigrant status. I know this would put a financial burden on our health care system, but Ms. Santiago has done her part in living honestly and diligently to earn her chance to become a Canadian. Canada has never been a country that shuts others down because of financial reasons – please, treat her with empathy, not because we owe her anything; not because we are “higher than thee,” but because it is the right thing to do.