Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, an Indian-origin truck driver responsible for a devastating bus crash in Canada that claimed the lives of 16 people and injured 13 others from a junior hockey team in 2018, has been ordered to be deported.
In 2018, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, a truck driver from Calgary, failed to stop at a sign and collided with the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team’s bus at a rural intersection near Tisdale in Saskatchewan Province. The tragic accident resulted in the loss of 16 lives and left 13 others injured.
Recently, at an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing in Calgary, a decision was made regarding Sidhu’s deportation.
According to CBC news, Sidhu’s lawyer, Michael Greene, considers the decision to deport Sidhu as inevitable. The key requirements for deportation are proof that Sidhu is not a Canadian citizen and that he committed a serious crime.
Despite having permanent resident status in Canada, Sidhu hails from India.
According to the Canadian Press news agency, Greene stated that the situation is straightforward. There is no room for dispute; the facts are crystal clear. These hearings typically conclude swiftly.
After receiving an eight-year sentence for dangerous driving in the 2018 bus crash, Sidhu was granted parole. However, his lawyer emphasized that several additional legal steps remain, and the deportation process may extend over months or even years.
In December, the Federal Court rejected applications from Sidhu’s lawyer, who contended that border officials had not taken into account Sidhu’s clean criminal record and expressions of remorse. The lawyer sought a court order for the border agency to conduct a second review.
The entire process is disheartening. Permanent residents find themselves in a situation where their personal circumstances are not taken into account at all.
Our sole recourse is to request a reconsideration of his permanent resident status on humanitarian grounds after he has been ordered deported.
Despite the deportation order, Sidhu won’t be immediately taken into custody after the hearing concludes. Instead, a pre-removal risk assessment will be conducted. Additionally, Sidhu has the option to request a deferral while his application for permanent resident status is under consideration.
Unfortunately, this process could extend over several months or even years. Some family members of the crash victims have expressed their desire for Sidhu’s deportation.
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