Two Nigerian students,Favour Amadi and Victoria Ordu of the University of Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada voluntarily left the north American country after a deportation order was served on them.
The students, who began their education at the University in 2009, unknowingly violated their study permit by working off campus at shopping mall. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) issued the women deportation orders.
Students, church member and locals appealed to the government to cancel the deportation order but to no avail.
When the lobby failed they return to Nigeria on Oct 18 2013.
Following a reapplication for entry from Nigeria and the Canadian government granted their request and the two students arrived Canada on Saturday June 9,2014 to resume their education.
Leader-Post reports:
Favour Amadi and Victoria Ordu were happy, but weary when their Air Canada flight from Toronto touched down at Regina International Airport Saturday evening.
Despite their long haul that began in Nigeria, the young women’s faces were beaming as they came down the escalator at the airport and saw about 40 cheering supporters wearing blue T-shirts that read Welcome Back, Victoria and Favour.
Amadi told reporters how happy they were to return to Regina so they can resume their studies at the University of Regina (U of R) and saluted everyone who supported her and Ordu throughout their long journey.
“It’s really amazing to be back here,” Amadi said. “It’s just unbelievable.”
While in Nigeria, Ordu said she had doubts she’d return to Regina.
“But with the level of support and everything that everyone has done — we’re just so grateful,” she said. “I think we both feel loved and we’re happy to be back to finish our education … We both hope to get back to school as soon as we can.”
It’s been a long journey for the two young women who voluntarily left Regina and returned to Nigeria on Oct. 18.
While students at the U of R, Amadi and Ordu were ordered to leave Canada last year after unknowingly breaking their study permits by working part-time at Walmart for two weeks in 2011 — an unintentional technical breach of their student visas.
When they began studying at the U of R in 2009, they found out that living in Canada was more expensive than they anticipated. Many of their friends had found on-campus jobs to earn extra money, and the young women were told that Walmart was hiring.
Amadi and Ordu got jobs at the retail giant, but realized within a couple of weeks that they did not have the proper work permits to be employed off campus.
Ordu quit her job after she found out she was working illegally. Shortly after, she was contacted by a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer. Amadi, meanwhile, was arrested by CBSA officials during a shift at the Harbour Landing Walmart.
Despite the women admitting their error, the CBSA issued deportation orders against them.
Devastated that their dream of a university education had been shattered, they sought sanctuary in a small, inner-city Regina church on June 19, 2012 and were hopeful their deportation order would quickly be overturned.
Students, faculty, Wascana Liberal MP Ralph Goodale and the Saskatchewan Party were among those who lobbied Ottawa to show some compassion. None was forthcoming.
After moving from church to church for 486 days, the U of R students gave up trying to fight the deportation order and left the country. About a month before leaving, Amadi and Ordu emailed university president Vianne Timmons and indicated they were considering returning to Nigeria.
At the time, Timmons vowed she would support them if they reapplied to the university.
“As long as they have an interest in coming back, they have me as an advocate,” Timmons said last year.
Prior to the young women’s departure, Timmons wrote numerous letters to the provincial and federal governments in support of the students.
After Amadi and Ordu were back in Nigeria, Timmons continued her advocacy efforts.
On Saturday, when the women made their way to where the U of R president was standing at the airport, Timmons hugged both of them tightly, kissed them and said, “You’re back. You’re back.”
Wiping tears from her face, Timmons gave each of them U of R hoodies, portfolios and notebooks to welcome them back.
Before the plane landed, Timmons told the Leader-Post that she was thrilled the women would be resuming their studies at the U of R.
“Education is life-changing,” she said. “My heart broke when that was taken away from them and now that gift has been given back to them. It’s especially important for young women from Nigeria. Education for them will change not only their lives, but change the pathway for the next generations.”
Timmons kept in touch with Amadi and Ordu in Nigeria via emails.
“These two young women have shown bravery and courage and when they honoured the deportation order, my job was then to make sure that we facilitated them coming home to Regina,” she said. “We did all of the documentation to get their study permits reinstated and we kept monitoring the progress of that — that was our role.”
The women are back at the U of R with full scholarships.
“We advocated for that to be kept intact and I have to compliment the Government of Nigeria, they’ve done so,” Timmons said.
“They committed to continue to support the young women.”
Before Amadi and Ordu could return, they had to fill out applications and the university had to write letters of support.
“There was a lot of paperwork to get the study visa reinstated — it took months, but they got them … it’s a story of perseverance and how that impacts on your success,” Timmons said.
