Stop Aisha From Being Deported

Aisha Benslimane is a parent, a widely beloved member of our community, a very active and generous volunteer for social causes, and a human rights advocate and co-ordinator of the Jail Accountability and Information Line in Ottawa. Even so, Aisha now faces the unjust possibility of deportation to Morocco, and being ripped away from family and friends. Aisha and their family were landed as permanent residents to Canada 16 years ago, when Aisha was only a teenager. Since that time, Aisha has never been back to Morocco, and instead started a family and developed deep roots within their local community in Canada. The fear of impending deportation has already had a devastating impact on their family, including Aisha's ten-year-old son Omar, common-law partner, mother and father, and two siblings, all Canadian citizens. Thanks to anyone who donated to our previous Go Fund Me. We need further support, particularly as there are signs the Canadian Border Service Agency is moving to deport Aisha soon. Aisha needs a further $10,000 urgently for survival costs, legal fees, and related expenses to start to fight the deportation and stay here with their family and loved ones. We are expecting a costly legal battle. Any unspent funds will be donated to prisoner solidarity initiatives such as the Jail Accountability and Information Line (Criminalization and Punishment Education Project), Prisoner Emergency Support Fund (Toronto Prisoners' Rights Project), and others. If you want to consider a monthly contribution, please Google Criminalization and Punishment Education Project and e-mail us.

 

Aisha would like to send his sincere gratitude and genuine love to everyone who has gifted so generously. He also stresses that solidarity work should be understood and practiced outside of the pitfalls and harms of charity and that crowdfunding is but a band aid to the ills of capitalism.

 

Please fill out this form to help us connect with you in the future about ways you can support Aisha's struggles and call on you when we need you.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScgRoQCbL12stEqyMe0aRYMhva8FyNYDKquyrRErVR4SktrDw/viewform

 

The legal battle and process are moving along with the Canadian Border Service Agency who are working to deport Aisha to Morocco, and, while it is highly unpredictable, we anticipate a legal struggle that could potentially take years, with various costs that are difficult to estimate and outcomes that are impossible to predict. We will keep you posted on ways you can support Aisha and help push for systemic change to an unjust system that targets immigrants for double punishment through deportations.