Charles Mwangi, a 48-year-old Kenyan man facing deportation from Canada, has lost his final appeal to remain in the country.
Mwangi, who identifies as bisexual, had sought refuge in Canada in 2019, fearing persecution due to his sexuality if he were forced to return to Kenya.
Mwangi's stay of removal was denied, leaving him with no further legal recourse.
In a statement shared by the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, Mwangi expressed his gratitude to those who supported his petition but conveyed the grim reality of his situation.
"Thank you, everyone, for supporting me by sharing my petition," Mwangi began.
The Kenyan man disclosed that his legal team had informed him that his appeal to remain in the country had hit a snag.
"I just heard from my lawyer that my stay of removal has been denied. Now, I do not have any other legal option. I have come to a dead end, and now my life is with the minister for immigration, Marc Miller, and the minister of public safety to stop this deportation."
Mwangi, who has lived in Toronto for the past four years, has been vocal about the dangers he would face if deported to Kenya, where homosexuality remains criminalized.
Under Kenya's Penal Code, sections 162 and 165 impose severe penalties, including up to seven years of imprisonment, for male homosexual relationships.
Mwangi fears that returning to Kenya would put his life at risk.
"I came here because I was running for my life," Mwangi told CTV News Toronto earlier this week.
"But now, it feels like I am being sent back to a death sentence. This is about life and death; we are talking about my life."
Mwangi's case has garnered attention, with the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change and other advocacy groups rallying in his support.
The organization had previously reported that Mwangi's deportation was temporarily halted just a day before his scheduled flight.
However, the latest decision marks a devastating blow to his efforts to remain in Canada.
As Mwangi's deportation looms, his fate now rests in the hands of Canadian officials, including the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Marc Miller, and the Minister of Public Safety.
