Ihuoma Amadi, 21, and Victoria Ordu, 20, have attended the school for three years on a scholarship. Last year, the pair worked at the store for two weeks, but according to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, international students can’t be employed off campus without a work permit.

“It was an honest mistake. They want a second chance. There are better measures that could have been used rather than the ultimate punishment, which is deportation,” said Kay Adebogun, vice-president of the Canadian Association of Immigration Consultants, who is representing them pro bono.

The students said they quit immediately when university staff told them the rules. Later, Canadian Border Services Agency officers arrested them and they were scheduled to be deported June 19.

It is unclear how the women ended up getting hired without the appropriate work permits.

Walmart said it is investigating the matter and declined to go into detail.

“We have a process in place to ensure associates have appropriate documentation to work in Canada,” the statement said.

Desperate, the women said they sought sanctuary at an undisclosed church in Regina nearly three months ago in hopes immigration officials will show “mercy” for them.

“At times, we stay for days without eating because we don’t go outside,” Amadi said Thursday at the church where they sleep on the floor.

Amadi and Ordu have both written to Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to ask for a pardon, and they are trying to get temporary residence permits.

“We acknowledge everything happened out of ignorance. If we had known, why would we take that risk when our education is much more important?” Ordu said.

The University of Regina is supportive of the women’s plight and wants them to return to classes to get their degrees in theatre and international studies.

Barbara Pollock, a spokeswoman at the university, said the school sent a letter to the minister to ask him to reconsider the deportation on humanitarian grounds.

“We feel that the punishment is disproportionate to the wrongdoing,” Pollock said.

Remi Lariviere, spokesman for Citizenship and Immigration Canada, said in an email Thursday that Kenney doesn’t have the authority to reverse deportation orders under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Lariviere declined to answer further questions for privacy reasons.

For now, all the students can do is wait.

“It’s given the wrong impression of Canada,” Ordu said.

http://liveofofo.com/gossip-column/two-nigerian-female-students-face-deportation-in-canada/

Breaking the law in the West is as easy as ABC. The things Nigerians take for granted can result in unsavory, near life-changing, consequences. I hope they get a reprieve.

They need to be careful if there would be a next time.

Too bad, but if they are University students they should have been more knowledgable about immigration laws, ignorance cannot be used as excuse in western countries. In the UK here it never cease to amaze me how many Nigerians with a UK first and second degree could be so ignorant of immigration laws, it dawn on me afterall that being educated may not lead to being intelligent or being knowledgeable especially about politics/current affairs and how it affect immigrants.
Many of these rules and conditions are readily available on the internet but many immigrants never bother to read them.

Nna men! Na so dem wan deportment these 2 fresh fishes back to that hellhole country? Na wa o. Abeg mercy for them naw.

Are they working so that they can get hair weaves? What are you working?

Ignorance is no excuse.

I don't know if I believe these girls or not. Everyone knows that Walmart hires whomever, regardless of papers. They've gotten in trouble several times for hiring illegal immigrants. I'm sure they had no problem or hesitation hiring international students.

I think international students get stipends. They shouldn't have been hungry unless they spent their money recklessly.

ogugua88: I don't know if I believe these girls or not. Everyone knows that Walmart hires whomever, regardless of papers. They've gotten in trouble several times for hiring illegal immigrants. I'm sure they had no problem or hesitation hiring international students.

I think international students get stipends. They shouldn't have been hungry unless they spent their money recklessly.

Nigerians never let go the slightest opportunity to make more money.

The girls are lying that is sure but the penalty too is too much.

Steep penalty for a steep crime. Officials probably don't believe their story.

Degrees in theatre and international studies. These are our future Mona lisa and Toto dicke.

The punishment is quite disproportionate, a slap on the wrist would have been ideal considering the fact that they've come a long way...

^^^ Absolutely not. One is to have a squeaky clean record in order to survive abroad as an immigrant. Firstly, they must have known that they are not allowed to work. That is beyond elementary. I'm sure it was in whatever documents they received, they were told, etc. If you migrate, you have to know your rules. Secondly, they're Nigerians. Do realize that we Nigerians are perceived as nuisances. We are treated differently in European nations, our passports are frowned upon, and we are known as 419ers. Whether or not these girls were oblivious to the laws is not of concern to officials, I'm sure. They come from a "stained" nation unfortunately. If they were of different nationality, say France or Germany, mercy might have been considered at the very least. As they're Nigerians, those girls are going home.

ogugua88: ^^^ Absolutely not. One is to have a squeaky clean record in order to survive abroad as an immigrant. Firstly, they must have known that they are not allowed to work. That is beyond elementary. I'm sure it was in whatever documents they received, they were told, etc. If you migrate, you have to know your rules. Secondly, they're Nigerians. Do realize that we Nigerians are perceived as nuisances. We are treated differently in European nations, our passports are frowned upon, and we are known as 419ers. Whether or not these girls were oblivious to the laws is not of concern to officials, I'm sure. They come from a "stained" nation unfortunately. If they were of different nationality, say France or Germany, mercy might have been considered at the very least. As they're Nigerians, those girls are going home.

Its a pity but what you said is very true and my take is they were probably reported to the CBSA officials by a black hater because for crying out loud these girls have come a long way with their studies and should have been treated leniently.

pauloman:


Its a pity but what you said is very true and my take is they were probably reported to the CBSA officials by a black hater because for crying out loud these girls have come a long way with their studies and should have been treated liniently.

So where are the girls now?

OYINBOGOJU:

Nigerians never let go the slightest opportunity to make more money.

The girls are lying that is sure but the penalty too is too much.

lol.

kennyGGG:

So where are the girls now?

Dunno...but i guess the law should be taking its course already, the bottom line is non-immigrants and immigrants alike in Canada should take note of immigration laws .The western world is not like what we have back in Naija !

pauloman:


Its a pity but what you said is very true and my take is they were probably reported to the CBSA officials by a black hater because for crying out loud these girls have come a long way with their studies and should have been treated leniently.

Stop this BS blame game of a phantom snitch whether black or not! You must be either ignorant or the type that can not accept responsibility for your own actions. Do you think these countries don't have a much (much) tighter control on everything their government does? I bet you don't know that every person (legally) employed has their records with the government through the human resources development branch of government? So, you think they just collect data to store it like Nigeria uselessly do nothing with every data they claim to collect? Do you not know also that after a tax year, computer bots search through the data and will randomly select tax returns for audit if it follows certain inconsistent patterns or suspect? The point is it is not about any stupi.d hater but 2 girls who have carried there Naija sentiments to a country that tries to continue make laws and enforce them. There is no doubt that this was deliberate and the oyinbo man is not stup.d, every document they ever received would have notes on the limitation of their visa for work. They just thought they could sneak this past the system and now point fingers at how this creates a wrong impression of the country. Rather, it shows that the country enforces their laws, which is the minimum requirement for any progressive society.

[quote author=CyberG]

Stop this BS blame game of a phantom snitch whether black or not! You must be either ignorant or the type that can not accept responsibility for your own actions.


Better dont burst your blood vessels for nothing ! To me you must be so low on IQ not to have understood my line of argument after i have posted twice on this very thread .

Degrees in theatre and international studies; nothing we will not hear in this country and to think they may be on a government scholarship which by and large is for the rich by the rich.

Welcome home in advance....
Plz remember not to board DANA... Also,
Watch ur luggage carefully when u arrive naija.

Are they not in Canada? I know one person that can help them out. He is very influential in Canada. In fact, when President Jonathan visited Canada, earthquake happened because GEJ did not visit this man. He is on Nairaland. Contact me and let me link you guys up with him.

Who put a closed thread on the front page? Lmao

I fell for the biafrans But they are pretty sha

saxywale: Degrees in theatre and international studies. These are our future Mona lisa and Toto dicke.

Yeye girls! They want to earn extra money & buy brazilian hair, bb, iPad & Louboutins..

Deport them and let Borntofuck handle dem for 2wks ojare!

Anyway, they ugly & sober in dis pix, d other thread had better pix where they glammed up, I was wondering. whether they weren't even sober?

As much as we all know they knowingly & willfully disregarded their visa conditions, summary deportation get as e be! Let them pay $10,000 in restitution to serve as a deterrent to others!

Giving scholarships to students to study Theater Arts and International Studies? Na wa o!

obowunmi: Are they working so that they can get hair weaves? What are you working?

Ignorance is no excuse.

guy! You better STFU if you got nothing to say! Na by force to comment? How can you say they work to get hair weaves? You don't just open your lousy mouth and say what you don't know.read the thread again and comment with your brains intact!

charlsecy4: Giving scholarships to students to study Theater Arts and International Studies? Na wa o!

Exactly My First Thoughts.

They were surely aware of this, even asians and other foreigners schooling Abroad know better than to try to "cut corners".

It's not Nigeria where nothing is taken serious.

breaking the law, then running away from it and they expect consideration from the same institutions is absurd. canada is a country that values its populace and strictly monitors immigrants. before residing in canada any individual is taken through a stringent set of rules and regulation spelt out. they should be deported soon to curb extra tax payers more expenses.

Jarus: Are they not in Canada? I know one person that can help them out. He is very influential in Canada. In fact, when President Jonathan visited Canada, earthquake happened because GEJ did not visit this man. He is on Nairaland. Contact me and let me link you guys up with him.

HE, whose name must not be mentioned. . . lmao!

Come ow come a closed thread is on the frontpage,mods do something bourit

Theater Arts??!!

That's an eyebrow raiser right there.