The planned deportation of Zain Haq, a British Columbia-based climate activist originally from Pakistan, was halted last week, according to Haq’s attorney, Randall Cohn. Haq’s deportation, initially scheduled for last Sunday, was called off by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), who notified Haq that he was no longer under a removal order. Visit Jurist for the full story.
Haq came to Canada on a student visa, but it was revoked following his involvement in protests that led to traffic disruptions in BC’s Lower Mainland. His associations with groups such as Extinction Rebellion, Stop Fracking Around, and Save Old Growth – a group he helped establish – were revealed during court proceedings. As a result, Haq pleaded guilty to five charges of mischief and one charge of breach of undertaking, resulting in a sentence of seven days in jail and two months of house arrest last year. Read more about his activism and legal situation on his campaign Page.
Despite the significant challenges Haq faced, his determination to address climate change was ignited by his experiences with climate-related disasters in Pakistan, including floods and heatwaves. When he came to Canada in 2019 to study at Simon Fraser University, he ramped up his environmental activism, including efforts to pressure the university to divest from fossil fuels.
Though the Federal Court had previously dismissed an application to stay Haq’s deportation, its recent cancellation reflects a possible reconsideration by the government. This change may have been influenced by public support and advocacy efforts.
In comments to JURIST, Haq’s lawyer Randall Cohn discussed the broad implications of the case, highlighting the discretionary power within the legal system. “Canada has a choice available to them under the law to make different choices about how they prosecute, and different choices about their immigration enforcement priorities. The fact that they were so determined to get him out of Canada was a real perversion of priorities,” Cohn said.
Cohn argues that the government should avoid finding additional ways to punish activist leaders, with a special emphasis on those committed to non-violence. He suggests that the Liberal-led federal government recognized potential public perception problems with the deportation, considering their professed understanding of the severity of the climate crisis.