Latest news with #SophiaPapp
National Post
03-07-2025
- Politics
- National Post
'We are a Canadian family': Vancouver wife of deported climate activist pleads for his return
Sophia Papp and husband Zain Haq. Photo by HAQ FAMILY When climate activist Zain Haq was deported to Pakistan in January, his wife Sophia Papp followed. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE ARTICLES Enjoy the latest local, national and international news. Exclusive articles by Conrad Black, Barbara Kay and others. Plus, special edition NP Platformed and First Reading newsletters and virtual events. Unlimited online access to National Post. National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Now she is back in Vancouver to plead with Canada's new immigration minister, Lena Metlege Diab, to allow Haq to return while their spousal sponsorship application is processed. 'I am hoping the minister of immigration will bring Zain back on humanitarian and compassionate grounds,' said Papp, who is working in English Bay as a sailing instructor for the summer. Days on the water with her students offer her precious moments of grace during what she calls 'a lonely, unjust situation.' Get a dash of perspective along with the trending news of the day in a very readable format. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again A few weeks ago, a pod of orcas breached within sight. 'We saw a huge dorsal fin, as tall as a doorway, and baby orcas splashing and playing around it. It was this profound moment of unreality, that life could be so beautiful, and so perfect. We are so lucky to be here.' The tears were not just for what she has lost following her husband's removal by Canada Border Services Agency, but for all that is precious and vulnerable to the ravages of climate change — everything her husband was trying to stand up for as a student activist. 'We are a Canadian family. He might not be technically Canadian yet, but it's wrong to separate families for low-level charges for climate activism,' said Papp. Haq, an SFU student in Vancouver on a study permit, had his student visa revoked by Canada Border Services Agency in 2022 after participating in acts of civil disobedience related to climate justice, which resulted in mischief charges. The removal order was not based on the mischief charges, but on a claim Haq had violated his study permit by not progressing on his university degree. SFU wrote a letter of support, and then-Immigration Minister Marc Miller intervened to grant Haq a six-month temporary residency permit. The six-month reprieve was meant to allow him more time to apply for permanent residency through spousal sponsorship. The process dragged on, so Haq had to apply for an extension of the residency permit. Although Haq applied before the deadline, and had a Fed Ex receipt to show it was mailed in time, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said they had not received it. The couple's spousal sponsorship application was rejected. 'I did not have due process to appeal,' said Papp. 'The explanation by (Immigration Canada) was that there was an active removal order in place, but the only reason there was an active removal order was that they lost the (temporary residency permit). It was a Catch-22.'
Daily Mail
03-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Wife of illegal migrant who's a climate change rioter scolds lawmakers for deporting spouse to his native Pakistan
The wife of a Pakistani climate activist who was deported back to his homeland after his visa was revoked says she couldn't stay with him because his native country is, 'not a comfortable place for women'. Sophia Papp lasted just a month living in Pakistan with her husband Zain Haq and is begging authorities to allow him to return home. Haq had his student visa revoked in 2022, after it was found that he had stopped studying for his university degree in Canada. He had also been hit with mischief charges related to acts of 'civil disobedience' during climate protests at the time. He was granted a six-month extension to apply for a spousal sponsorship with his Canadian citizen wife, but he missed the deadline and his application for an extension was never received by officials, reports Vancouver Sun. Haq's deportation was not directly due to the mischief charges, but on a claim that he had violated his student visa by stopping his studies. He was subsequently deported in January of this year. Canadian immigration authorities did not immediately respond to a request for clarification over what happened in the years between Haq missing the deadline and his deportation. Papp said she initially joined her husband and his parents and sister in Pakistan, but struggled with the culture of the South Asian country. 'For security and safety reasons, I was not able to go by myself outside of the home. I was stuck inside most of the time,' she said. Papp said that she and her husband have been stuck in limbo since he was deported, claiming that they applied for their spousal sponsorship extension but it was never received by Canadian officials. 'I did not have due process to appeal,' Papp said. 'The explanation was that there was an active removal order in place, but the only reason there was an active removal order was that they lost the (extension). It was a Catch-22.' The couple's predicament has attracted scrutiny in Canada, with filmmaker Aaron Gunn taking to X this week to voice his opposition to allowing the climate activist back into the country. 'A very good way to not get yourself deported from Canada is not to come here under false pretenses and then proceed to very publicly break our laws and cost hard-working taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars,' he wrote. A very good way to not get yourself deported from Canada is not to come here under false pretenses and then proceed to very publicly break our laws and cost hard-working taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars. — Aaron Gunn (@AaronGunn) July 2, 2025 Papp said she struggled to adjust to the restrictions placed on women in Pakistan. Canada has an active travel warning for female travelers to the country which warns them of rampant gender-based oppression and harassment. In Pakistan, Haq has continued his climate activism, and writes for The Express Tribune about climate change issues including the destruction of habitat and farmland in the port of Keti Bandar, per the Vancouver Sun. 'Regions in Pakistan and India are already experiencing some of the worst effects of this climate crisis — drought, or floods that have displaced millions of people,' Papp said. Papp said she is now waiting for her husband to be allowed back into Canada, but the process for applying for spousal sponsorship from outside the country can take years. 'My home is in Canada,' she said. 'He should be here with me.'
