Halima Abdi, a 33-year-old Kenyan mother of three, survived deportation from Canada at the last minute after being arrested and lined up for ejection which was expected to be done on November 14.
According to CBC, a Canadian news outlet, Halima had been fighting to stay in Canada for 15 months, however, her fortunes came crashing after immigration authorities in the North American country issued a warrant for her arrest.
Halima had fled Kenya in 2016 over extra-judicial killings. At the time, she feared for the worst, claiming that her brother had been eliminated by State operatives.
After seeking refuge in the North American nation for a while, Canadian immigration authorities concluded that her life was not at risk and rejected her refugee claim.
Moments after, a warrant for her arrest was issued, prompting her to go into hiding.
However, Edmonton police finally caught up with her in October 2022 and arrested her. She would later be briefly detained and issued with a one-way deportation ticket to Kenya.
Resigned to the fate that was awaiting her, Halima set her eyes on returning back to Kenya.
On that day, she never boarded the flight. Just hours before take-off, a border agent called to convey the unexpected news: her ejection from the country had been cancelled. It was not immediately clear why the Canadian authorities had decided to cancel the deportation order.
"I was so relieved. It was a miracle," she told CBC in an interview.
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) would later in a statement, confirm the cancellation after the issuance of a temporary resident permit and a work permit were approved.
The permit will allow her to stay in the country for two years, pending the processing of her existing application.
Separation
Halima's reprieve came as a huge relief for her family which has gone through hell, during the entire period that Canadian authorities were looking to deport her.
Her three sons aged two, four and five are still reeling from the effects the threats had on their family.
In the interview, Halima revealed that stepping out of the room can still set off her oldest boy.
"He's like 'where are you going mummy, don't leave me mummy'," Abdi said during the interview.
