Hours are running out in Canada for a migrant whom the authorities are preparing to deport to Jordan on Monday, despite his fear of being persecuted there because of his bisexuality.
Barring a turnaround, Samer, 32, will be forced to return to his home country, which he left 15 years ago and where he fears for his life.
“My father and brothers are threatening to kill me because of my sexual orientation and my change of religion. […] I am going to be the victim of an honor crime ”, testifies bluntly the man, who kept his last name for security reasons.
A letter sent by his brother in 2014 and filed in court indicates that Samer “deserves to be pulled from the top of a building” for having committed “the dirtiest thing in the world, having sex with a man”.
He is also criticized for his conversion to Christianity, he who grew up in Islam.
Running out of options
Arriving via Roxham Road in 2019, Samer fled the United States after a series of hate crimes by white nationalists he says he was a victim of.
Canada denied him refugee status among other things because of a criminal record in the United States linked to a car accident where his best friend died, according to his lawyer.
Running out of options, the Jordanian-Palestinian applied for a pre-removal risk assessment, a procedure of last resort before deportation.
However, Judge Sébastien Grammond ruled that there is “no evidence that his return to Jordan would endanger his life or expose him to torture or persecution”.
His lawyer and the organization AGIR, Action LGBTQ + with immigrants and refugees, who support Samer in his approach, are of a completely different opinion.
In danger of death
“Often the government will base its decision on the legislation in force in a country. However, Jordan does not have a law that criminalizes LGBTQ people, but we know that the reality on the ground is completely different. Honor killings exist, ”says Meryem Benslimane, administrator of AGIR.
“There is an I-don’t care about the life or death of this young bisexual man”, gets carried away his lawyer, Stewart Istvanffy, who implores the Minister of Immigration, Marco Mendicino, of him issue a temporary residence permit.
For its part, the Canada Border Services Agency recalls that “the removal process [des demandeurs d’asile refusés] includes many checks and balances to ensure that the referral is done in a fair and safe manner ”.