Is Deportation Akin to Capital Punishment?
Filed Under: Canada, Local, Society
Should Canada be deporting people when the act is akin to nothing more than a death sentence?
Hussein Jilaow was a violent criminal and a member of a local street gang here in Winnipeg known for its extreme brutality. The gang is largely comprised of African immigrants. Since coming to Canada in 1999 as a 14 year old refugee he managed to amass 13 convictions for violent offences. In fact, the gang he was a member of became embroiled in a vicious battle with another local street gang which culminated in the death of an innocent bystander who got caught in a crossfire.
More recently he was serving a 3 year prison term for uttering threats to guards when he was at the Winnipeg Remand Centre in July 2005.
Finally, in May of this year he was kicked out of the country after losing a legal battle in which he challenged the deportation order on humanitarian grounds. His lawyer David Matas argued deportation to Somalia was nothing more than a death sentence. Matas said that Jilaow’s family clan is from Mogadishu but that the clan is associated with the previous government and its members subject to attack and murder. Unlike other family clans, Jilaow’s clan did not have a private militia.
The Canada Border Services Agency had originally planned to deport him Feb 28 but Federal Justice Sean Harrington stayed the order the day before to allow Jilaow to argue why he shouldn’t be deported to southern Somalia. Although Harrington agreed that Jilaow should be deported it should be done in such a manner so as not to endanger his life.
That brings us to today. Canadian officials are investigating reports Jilaow was killed shorty after his arrival in Somalia.
There is no doubt Jilaow was a violent criminal and a danger to the Canadian public. In fact, Harrington said earlier this year,
“He carries concealed weapons. He attacks people with switchblades. His violence has escalated and there is every reason to believe it will continue to do so… Mr. Jilaow is a danger to the people of Canada.”
Many people fight against deportation orders on humanitarian grounds. In this particular case it appears Jilaow’s concerns were well founded. But as a nation that does not believe in the death sentence should we be deporting criminals to places where their lives are in danger? Aren’t they one in the same? Notwithstanding the obligation of our government to protect its citizens, if we say we will not engage in the practice of capital punishment should we send our criminals somewhere knowing very likely they will be killed?
Your thoughts.
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9 Comments so far. Add Yours Now!
jo
When people who come here pose a danger to Canada or its people, I feel that what may happen to them if deported makes no difference. They chose to break the law knowing they may be deported. As far as I am concerned, they have made their choice, now we make ours. Kick them out.
Dec 16th, 2007
Brian
I agree. He is the author of his own misfortune , and perhaps also in Somalia.
Dec 16th, 2007
Kevin
I would think that knowing the consequences of his actions could result in him being returned to Somalia might have motivated him to be more of a model citizen. If the hunter now becomes the prey he has no one to blame but himself.
Dec 16th, 2007
Rob C
I don’t know why this is even an issue. The option was to keep him here to be released back into his gang world (and maybe kill another innocent CANADIAN CITIZEN) by our so called justice system. He got killed ….Ohhh welll stuff happens.
Dec 16th, 2007
Luca
Same opinion. His family came to Canada and made a covenant with the Canadian people. He broke that covenant not one but many times. This means only one thing: you get kicked out. Not kicking him out would have been an offence to every law-abiding immigrant.
Dec 16th, 2007
Mary
He’s gone. Good riddance. If he had stayed here he would have eventually murdered and done other hideous things to Canadians. Thank god our immigration people had some balls on this occasion.
Dec 16th, 2007
Dave Hodson
The truly sad thing here, is not that Hussein Jilaow was deported to Somalia and killed, but the fact that it took Canada so long to do it!
Did you say he racked up 13 violent convictions?
If so, his ass should have been on the first plane back to wherever he was from, after the first violent act.
Shame on us for being so forgiving.
That’s my opinion on this specific case. As to your original question… Should Canada be deporting people when the act is akin to nothing more than a death sentence?
Absolutely!
If we have a policy of never deporting people to places where the deportee is likely to be killed, than people form those countries will be able to operate in Canada with the knowledge they cannot be deported. If the potential criminals know they can’t be deported, and that the only consequence of their actions is to spend a bit of time in a Canadian jail (a resort compared to other countries), then we could be indirectly causing more violent criminal behaviour.
Dec 16th, 2007
Dave
A violent criminal. Well on his way to maiming/disabling/killing an innocent. And he still couldn’t take the hint. Tough shit. Thousands of truly innocent people die in Africa every day. This turd had a pass into a safe, wealthy country and he still couldn’t act like a responsible human being.
Dec 16th, 2007
Pissedoff
Hope the report finds it is true, serves the bastard right.
Dec 17th, 2007
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