Family of 9 facing deportation in Hamilton says immigration process left them 'devastated'
CBC
This year should be one of the happiest in Sarah Alsaleh's life.
The 25-year-old newlywed just moved into a new house with her husband and she was early in her pregnancy with her first child.
"I couldn't stop crying," she said.
Last month Alsaleh, with eight members of her family—including three children under 10 years old —were served deportation orders that would send them to Jordan, set for July 14.
Alsaleh said she doesn't remember living in Jordan.
Last month, Alsaleh had a miscarriage. She told CBC Hamilton she believes the stress from the deportation order contributed to losing her baby.
"When I talk to my lawyer, he was like, 'Sarah, maybe you have a higher risk of of high risk pregnancy and you can't be dealing with this much of stress.' But, I'm losing my family, maybe I'm losing also my husband," she said.
Alsaleh's family came to Canada in February 2022. She said before coming to North America, her family had been living in Qatar for decades.
She said they left Qatar because they were not citizens, and as foreigners, they had no protection.
"When we arrived here [in Canada], we felt so safe. We felt like life smiles to us," she said.
Her father, Yasir, was born and raised in Jordan. Her mother, Ana, is from Romania. Alsaleh said her parents faced Islamophobia in Romania and were in danger in Jordan.
"We have a problem there. We have a danger there. It's a risk for us to go there," she said.
Alsaleh and her family said they were not comfortable explaining the risks they face in Jordan because of safety concerns.
The government of Canada's website has a travel advisory for the country, stating visitors should "exercise a high degree of caution in Jordan due to the threat of terrorism, civil unrest and demonstrations."