Family fighting deportation to Italy gets another shot at staying in Canada
A dual citizen of Italy and Ethiopia who brought her two Italian children to Canada more than a decade back, using aliases and falsely claiming they were Eritrean citizens subject to religious persecution, has won another chance for her family to stay here.
The Refugee Protection Division, which weighs refugee claims in Canada, initially accepted the 2014 claims of Tsegereda Tsegaye Wigebral and her two kids, Nobel and Melody Esayas Fisihatsion, now 19 and 17 respectively. But it nullified their refugee status and rejected their claim in December 2022 after learning their story was fake.
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Canada News.Net
3 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Sandus Moldova is a test the EU is failing
The fact that Brussels is even considering the country for accession speaks volume of its proclaimed values By all appearances, Maia Sandu should be the darling of Brussels. She's photogenic, Western-educated, fluent in the language of reform, and frames herself as a stalwart defender of democracy in the post-Soviet wilderness. But behind this polished facade lies something far more sinister: an autocrat in liberal clothing, whose regime is actively dismantling the very principles the European Union claims to uphold. Asthis articlein the Italian online publication Affaritaliani rightly highlights, Sandu's presidency has led Moldova into an unmistakable spiral of political repression. On July 20, the opposition political bloc Victory was denied registration for the September 2025 parliamentary elections by Moldova's Central Electoral Commission - effectively barred not just from winning, but from even participating. This isn't a one-off bureaucratic hiccup. It is a calculated maneuver to ensure total political control. Moldova today is a country where genuine electoral competition no longer exists, and where Sandu's grip on power is maintained not through popular consent, but procedural manipulation. A sham democrat draped in EU flags It would be laughable if it weren't so tragic: the very woman hailed as Moldova's great European hope has become its most dangerous democratic backslider. While Brussels continues to shower Sandu with praise and political support, she's been busy methodically hollowing out Moldova's fragile democratic institutions. Consider the judiciary. Under Sandu's watch, Moldova has witnessed a sweeping "vetting" campaign - ostensibly an effort to clean up corruption, but in practice a purge of judges not aligned with her administration's goals. Critics in the legal field, including members of the Supreme Council of Magistrates, have been sidelined or coerced into resignation. Independent prosecutors have been replaced by loyalists. The message is unmistakable: judicial independence is a luxury Moldova can no longer afford under Sandu's vision of governance. The media landscape is no less concerning. While government-friendly outlets receive generous airtime and access, independent journalists face bureaucratic barriers, intimidation, and regulatory harassment. Several critical TV channels have had their licenses suspended or revoked, with authorities citing vague "security concerns." Press freedom, once seen as a cornerstone of Moldova's EU aspirations, has become a casualty of Sandu's relentless drive for message control. Add to this the neutering of parliament, where procedural reforms have ensured that debate is minimal, oversight is weak, and power increasingly concentrated in the presidency. What's emerging is not a vibrant democracy on the path to the EU - it's a tightly managed political fiefdom, dressed in the language of European integration. Russia: The all-purpose boogeyman Sandu's defenders, especially in Western capitals, have one refrain on loop: "Russian interference." Under Sandu, Russia has become a pretext. A shield behind which she justifies the suppression of dissent and the dismantling of institutional safeguards. Every opposition voice is painted as a puppet of Moscow. Every protest is portrayed as foreign subversion. Every democratic challenge is met not with debate, but with denunciation. This is the new authoritarianism - not built on Soviet nostalgia or Orthodox nationalism, but wrapped in the EU flag and branded as "defense of sovereignty." Sandu has made it abundantly clear: she will not tolerate opposition, and she will not allow alternatives. Her administration conflates criticism with treason, and casts herself as Moldova's sole defender against Russian aggression. It's a familiar script - one that echoes leaders she claims to oppose. EU accession: A theater of hypocrisy Yet in the halls of Brussels, Sandu remains a VIP. Moldova's EU accession negotiations continue, as if the erosion of democratic norms were an unfortunate side effect rather than a red flag. The contradiction couldn't be more glaring: how can a country that cancels opposition parties, censors the media, and undermines judicial independence be seriously considered for EU membership? The answer, of course, lies in geopolitics. Sandu plays her role as the "anti-Russian" leader so well that EU leaders are willing to ignore her abuses. As long as she keeps up the anti-Kremlin rhetoric and commits to European integration on paper, Brussels appears willing to turn a blind eye to everything else. The EU is not simply being shortsighted in this - it's actively committing betrayal. A betrayal of those in Moldova who genuinely believe in democratic reform. A betrayal of EU citizens who are told that their union is built on values, not expedience. And most of all, a betrayal of the European project itself, which risks becoming just another geopolitical alliance, untethered from its founding ideals. Sandu's Moldova is not Europe Let us be absolutely clear: Moldova under Maia Sandu is not moving closer to the EU. Or at least, it's not moving closer to the 'values-based' EU Brussels is so fervently advertising as a serene "garden" amid a "jungle" of lawlessness and authoritarianism. Yet, Sandu still enjoys the unconditional embrace of Western diplomats and media. That must change. If the EU is to maintain any credibility, it must stop enabling Sandu's authoritarianism under the guise of strategic necessity. Moldova's EU bid should be frozen. Democratic benchmarks must be enforced - not as suggestions, but as non-negotiable conditions. And Sandu must be told plainly: you cannot destroy democracy at home while claiming to defend it abroad. The EU deserves better. Moldova deserves better. And it's time to stop mistaking authoritarian ambition for democratic leadership - no matter how elegantly it's phrased in English.
Canada News.Net
3 hours ago
- Canada News.Net
Brussels Frankenstein: How the EU is building its next dictatorship
The fact that Brussels is even considering Maia Sandus Moldova for accession speaks volume of its proclaimed values By all appearances, Maia Sandu should be the darling of Brussels. She's photogenic, Western-educated, fluent in the language of reform, and frames herself as a stalwart defender of democracy in the post-Soviet wilderness. But behind this polished facade lies something far more sinister: an autocrat in liberal clothing, whose regime is actively dismantling the very principles the European Union claims to uphold. Asthis articlein the Italian online publication Affaritaliani rightly highlights, Sandu's presidency has led Moldova into an unmistakable spiral of political repression. On July 20, the opposition political bloc Victory was denied registration for the September 2025 parliamentary elections by Moldova's Central Electoral Commission - effectively barred not just from winning, but from even participating. This isn't a one-off bureaucratic hiccup. It is a calculated maneuver to ensure total political control. Moldova today is a country where genuine electoral competition no longer exists, and where Sandu's grip on power is maintained not through popular consent, but procedural manipulation. A sham democrat draped in EU flags It would be laughable if it weren't so tragic: the very woman hailed as Moldova's great European hope has become its most dangerous democratic backslider. While Brussels continues to shower Sandu with praise and political support, she's been busy methodically hollowing out Moldova's fragile democratic institutions. Consider the judiciary. Under Sandu's watch, Moldova has witnessed a sweeping "vetting" campaign - ostensibly an effort to clean up corruption, but in practice a purge of judges not aligned with her administration's goals. Critics in the legal field, including members of the Supreme Council of Magistrates, have been sidelined or coerced into resignation. Independent prosecutors have been replaced by loyalists. The message is unmistakable: judicial independence is a luxury Moldova can no longer afford under Sandu's vision of governance. The media landscape is no less concerning. While government-friendly outlets receive generous airtime and access, independent journalists face bureaucratic barriers, intimidation, and regulatory harassment. Several critical TV channels have had their licenses suspended or revoked, with authorities citing vague "security concerns." Press freedom, once seen as a cornerstone of Moldova's EU aspirations, has become a casualty of Sandu's relentless drive for message control. Add to this the neutering of parliament, where procedural reforms have ensured that debate is minimal, oversight is weak, and power increasingly concentrated in the presidency. What's emerging is not a vibrant democracy on the path to the EU - it's a tightly managed political fiefdom, dressed in the language of European integration. Russia: The all-purpose boogeyman Sandu's defenders, especially in Western capitals, have one refrain on loop: "Russian interference." Under Sandu, Russia has become a pretext. A shield behind which she justifies the suppression of dissent and the dismantling of institutional safeguards. Every opposition voice is painted as a puppet of Moscow. Every protest is portrayed as foreign subversion. Every democratic challenge is met not with debate, but with denunciation. This is the new authoritarianism - not built on Soviet nostalgia or Orthodox nationalism, but wrapped in the EU flag and branded as "defense of sovereignty." Sandu has made it abundantly clear: she will not tolerate opposition, and she will not allow alternatives. Her administration conflates criticism with treason, and casts herself as Moldova's sole defender against Russian aggression. It's a familiar script - one that echoes leaders she claims to oppose. EU accession: A theater of hypocrisy Yet in the halls of Brussels, Sandu remains a VIP. Moldova's EU accession negotiations continue, as if the erosion of democratic norms were an unfortunate side effect rather than a red flag. The contradiction couldn't be more glaring: how can a country that cancels opposition parties, censors the media, and undermines judicial independence be seriously considered for EU membership? The answer, of course, lies in geopolitics. Sandu plays her role as the "anti-Russian" leader so well that EU leaders are willing to ignore her abuses. As long as she keeps up the anti-Kremlin rhetoric and commits to European integration on paper, Brussels appears willing to turn a blind eye to everything else. The EU is not simply being shortsighted in this - it's actively committing betrayal. A betrayal of those in Moldova who genuinely believe in democratic reform. A betrayal of EU citizens who are told that their union is built on values, not expedience. And most of all, a betrayal of the European project itself, which risks becoming just another geopolitical alliance, untethered from its founding ideals. Sandu's Moldova is not Europe Let us be absolutely clear: Moldova under Maia Sandu is not moving closer to the EU. Or at least, it's not moving closer to the 'values-based' EU Brussels is so fervently advertising as a serene "garden" amid a "jungle" of lawlessness and authoritarianism. Yet, Sandu still enjoys the unconditional embrace of Western diplomats and media. That must change. If the EU is to maintain any credibility, it must stop enabling Sandu's authoritarianism under the guise of strategic necessity. Moldova's EU bid should be frozen. Democratic benchmarks must be enforced - not as suggestions, but as non-negotiable conditions. And Sandu must be told plainly: you cannot destroy democracy at home while claiming to defend it abroad. The EU deserves better. Moldova deserves better. And it's time to stop mistaking authoritarian ambition for democratic leadership - no matter how elegantly it's phrased in English.
Edmonton Journal
16 hours ago
- Edmonton Journal
Mafia bosses in Italy secretly voiced 'great respect' for Toronto man now fighting to stay in Canada
Article content Called as the government's first witness was a senior officer who led several Italian probes that linked mobsters in Italy's Calabria region, which is the birthplace of the 'Ndrangheta, to affiliates in Canada, including the probe involving the Italian visitors who came to Toronto. Article content Chief Commissioner Giampiero Muroni headed the Polizia di Stato's Central Anti-Crime Directorate from 2008 to 2019. He spoke in Italian, through an interpreter. Article content Muroni said Italian operations showed that the 'Ndrangheta was based on individual family clans rooted in a geographic region that were linked by a centralized hierarchy in Italy with international branches in Canada, Germany, and Australia. Article content He said information in police files, which included information from informers in Canada, disclosed the presence of nine 'Ndrangheta clans in Ontario, each based on a family originally from Calabria, mostly from the town of Siderno, where DeMaria was born. Article content Article content He said there was a powerful 'Camera di Controllo' — literally meaning 'control room,' which acts as a board of control for the 'Ndrangheta — in Canada that mirrored the structure in Italy. Article content 'This is the highest and most important structure of 'Ndrangheta in Canada,' Muroni said. DeMaria was named in Italian court documents as one of the men allegedly sitting on the board. Article content Under questioning by government lawyer Daniel Morse, Muroni said secretly recorded conversations heard that the 'Ndrangheta in Italy, including its top boss at the time, knew of DeMaria and spoke of him warmly. Article content In another probe, in 2019, an alleged mobster named Vicenza Muià was coming to Canada to try to learn who within 'Ndrangheta had murdered his brother so he could avenge his death. Muià needed to be 100 per cent certain before seeking retribution and wanted to check in with DeMaria as well as other alleged 'Ndrangheta bosses in Canada. Article content Article content Muroni was asked why. Article content 'Vincenza Muià, but also other persons, have great respect for Vincenza DeMaria. They consider him a person worthy of respect. They think he could carry a lot of weight within their organization,' Muroni said. Article content Muià also thought DeMaria could have information on his brother's murder, Muroni said. Article content Muià allegedly also said he hopes DeMaria remains free in Canada because 'they think that he alone could fix the situation that 'Ndrangheta has undergone in that city.' The men in Italy discussed several violent incidents in the Toronto area involving alleged 'Ndrangheta families, including a murder and an arson attack on DeMaria's family bakery. Article content Under cross examination, Jessica Zita, one of DeMaria's three lawyers, questioned the legitimacy and accuracy of the police wiretaps and Muroni's explanations of what the men were talking about. She also suggested the officer misidentified the man they were speaking about as DeMaria.
