ACTION ALERT: Stop the deportation of Robin Long

Updated July 16, 2008

As reported in the Toronto Star on July 16, "A U.S. army deserter who sought asylum in Canada because of his opposition to the Iraq war has become the first to be deported to the United States after being rejected for refugee status. Robin Long, 25, was handed over to U.S. customs officials by Canadian Border Service Agency officers yesterday, one day after a federal court judge in Vancouver cleared the way for his removal...Long's next stop will be Fort Lewis, the military base in Seattle, after which he will be escorted to Fort Carson in Colorado. Long's commander, Col. Randy George, will have several choices in punishing Long, said Fort Carson spokesperson Karen Linne. Long could be placed in confinement, forced to return to duty, discharged from military service or face a court martial."

Council of Canadians chapter activist and Board member Bob Ages is extensively quoted in a July 15^th Globe and Mail report saying, "I was just shocked at some things in (the) ruling. It just flies in the face of everything that we and every Canadian know about the reality of what is going on...I do not think there is any doubt someone being up in Canada, and a vocal opponent to the war, will be treated harshly by the American military ... there is no question he will be court-martialed and will receive severe punishment...(Mr. Long's deportation would be a) terrible precedent for Canada, especially given our history of providing sanctuary for war resisters, over 100,000 draft dodgers and deserters during the Vietnam era...This will be the first time Canada played gendarme to the American military."

British Columbia-Yukon organizer Carleen Pickard traveled to the Canada-US border yesterday morning for a 9:00 am PST rally at the Peace Arch to demonstrate support for Robin.

TAKE ACTION

You can show your support for Robin Long and all US war resisters by contacting Stockwell Day, the Minister of Public Safety, this morning and telling him that the House of Commons has voted to allow war resisters to stay in Canada, that 64 percent of Canadians believe that war resisters should be allowed to stay in Canada as permanent residents, and that the Federal Court of Canada has ruled that US war resisters have grounds to claim refugee protection.

HOUSE OF COMMONS
On June 3, a War Resisters Support Campaign media release stated, "The Opposition parties in the House of Commons joined together today to adopt a recommendation which, if implemented, would make it possible for U.S. Iraq War resisters to obtain Permanent Resident status in Canada. The recommendation was adopted by a majority of Members of Parliament from the Liberal, Bloc Québécois, and New Democratic Parties. The Conservatives voted against the motion." The release stated, "The motion, which originated in the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration in December 2007, calls on the government to 'immediately implement a program to allow conscientious objectors and their immediate family members...to apply for permanent resident status and remain in Canada; and...the government should immediately cease any removal or deportation actions...against such individuals.'" Bloomberg reported that the vote in the House was 137 to 110.

PUBLIC OPINION
On June 27, it was reported that, “A majority of Canadians would agree with the decision to let American military deserters stay in Canada as permanent residents, a new Angus Reid Strategies survey reveals…In the online survey of a representative national sample, three-in-five Canadians (64%) say they would agree to give these U.S. soldiers the opportunity to remain in Canada as permanent residents.”

FEDERAL COURT OF CANADA
On July 4, Canadian Press reported that, "Canada's refugee board has been ordered to take another look at an American deserter's failed bid for asylum in an unprecedented court ruling that could affect scores of other U.S. soldiers who've refused to fight in Iraq. In a decision released Friday, the Federal Court found the Immigration and Refugee Board had erred in turning down Joshua Key's claim for asylum...In its decision, the board decided that while Key may have had to violate the Geneva Conventions in Iraq, he could not claim refugee status because he was not required to systematically commit war crimes. Federal Court Justice Robert Barnes disagreed with that analysis. A soldier who refuses to take part in military action which 'systematically degrades, abuses or humiliates' either combatants or non-combatants might qualify as a refugee, Barnes wrote. 'Officially condoned military misconduct falling well short of a war crime may support a claim to refugee protection.'"

Stockwell Day's contact coordinates are:
Email: day.s@parl.gc.ca (Ottawa office); days1@parl.gc.ca (Penticton constituency office)
Phone: 613.995.1702 (Ottawa); 250.770.4480 (Penticton constituency office)
Fax: 613.995.1154 (Ottawa); 250.770.4484 (Penticton)

The full Globe and Mail article is at http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20080715.BCDEPORT15/TPStory/?query=%22Robin+Long%22.