Minister of Citizenship & Immigration Diane Finley
from you or your organization!
Email: FINLEY.D@parl.gc.ca
Fax: 1 (613) 996 9749
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Email a copy to:
defendalisonbodine@hotmail.com
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Print, Sign and Fax Your Copy:
Download the Sample Letter Here!
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(Sample Support Letter)
LIFT THE BAN!
Alison Bodine Lift the Ban 10,000 Petition Drive
Date:__________
To the Honorable Diane Finley, Minister of Citizenship & Immigration:
Alison Bodine is a US citizen, is co-chair and spokesperson of Vancouver antiwar coalition Mobilization Against War and Occupation (MAWO), for three years was the president of the University of British Columbia’s Coalition Against War on the People of Iraq and Internationally (CAWOPI) and was a long-time executive committee member of the UBC Social Justice Center. She is also a prominent activist in solidarity with Cuba, and is a supporter of immigrant and refugee rights in Canada and in the US.
Near midnight, Thursday September 13, 2007 Alison Bodine was unjustly arrested by the Canada Border Services Agency and detained by the RCMP when she went voluntarily to the US-Canada border to pick up previously detained political materials and other items. Alison has not done anything illegal, and has crossed the border many times with no incident. In her four years as a student at the University of British Columbia Alison Bodine has never been stopped or searched when entering Canada. She has no criminal record or, for that matter, any record of wrongdoing whatsoever in Canada or the US.
On October 31st, the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada upheld the Canada Border Services Agency’s charge of misrepresentation against Alison Bodine. This resulted in the issuing of an exclusion order against her, which orders her banned from Canada for 2 years. The Federal Court of Canada denied her application for a stay in Canada while a Federal Court reviews the decision on her case. On November 17th 2007 the exclusion order and 2 year ban took effect and Alison was forced to leave Canada.
The harassment of Alison, her arrest, the charges against her, and her removal from Canada is a violation of the democratic and human rights of individuals to organize and express their political views peacefully. This is a violation of the right to free speech, and denial of the rights of immigrants, refugees, people without status and non-residents in Canada. The targeting of Alison Bodine by the Canada Border Services Agency was politically motivated and unjust.
I am appealing to you, as Federal Minister of Citizenship & Immigration, to lift the 2 year ban against Alison Bodine and restore her right to freely travel between the US and Canada.
Sincerely,
(signature)__________
(name) _____________
(affiliations, for identification purposes only)
