PSW wins fight to stay in Canada with daughter after deportation order suddenly reversed

She was nearly ripped from her three-year-old daughter, but in a sudden reversal, a Toronto personal support worker who faced deportation despite having worked on the front lines during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic can now stay in Canada permanently.

After going public with her story, Fatumah Najjuma has won her fight for permanent residence.

On Friday, she received word that her permanent resident application on humanitarian grounds was granted.

"This means a lot to me because I have been given a chance to live, stay and raise my baby girl," Najjuma told CBC Toronto, thanking her lawyer, advocates, her friends and the many strangers who supported her.

"As I am her only living parent, she is going to grow up a happy child because her mother is present in all her life."

Najjuma, 29, had been facing deportation to Uganda — a country she says she fled for her life after being disowned by her family and for her religious and social affiliations.

Her deportation date had been set for Jan. 7. But after garnering tens of thousands of signatures in an online petition, a campaign by advocacy groups and telling her story to CBC News, her removal was delayed in late December.

Now, her fight is over. But she says she remains concerned about the countless others who find themselves also facing deportation despite Canada's commitment to work towards granting status to undocumented workers.

"I shouldn't have to fight for basic rights," she said. "Everyone deserves status so we can live a good life. I encourage all migrants to speak up and raise their strong voice."

Syed Hussan, executive director of the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change shares that concern.

"Thousands of people signed petitions, joined protests and Fatumah bravely spoke up to ensure that her family can now access basic rights that permanent resident status allows but there are over 30 people being deported every day," he told CBC Toronto.

"It doesn't make sense to create exceptional measures for each person; we need systematic changes and that means full and permanent immigration status for every migrant including workers, students, refugees and undocumented people."

Canada had been pressing forward with Najuma's deportation despite Federal Immigration Minister Sean Fraser's mandate, which includes working to "further explore ways of regularizing status for undocumented workers who are contributing to Canadian communities."

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada recently told CBC Toronto that work remains underway, but that it could not comment on programs or policies under development.