Family living in London, Ont., for 5 years fears being deported to Egypt will tear them apart

A man who was sentenced in absentia in Egypt to life in prison over his pro-democracy efforts says he and his family are fearful of being deported and forced to leave their London, Ont., home of five years after being denied refugee status in Canada.

"The whole family is feeling anxiety, depression and sadness," said Mohamed Ibrahim.

In recent weeks, Ibrahim said, the family received a deportation order after Canada turned down their attempt for refugee status in 2019.

The45-year-old works as a medical equipment supplier. On Tuesday, a spokesperson forSean Fraser, minister ofImmigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), told CBC in an email thatIbrahim applied foran open work permit last November thatwas approved in March and is valid untilMarch 2023.

But while he's able to work in Canada, it does not make him or his family permanent residents, said Aidan Strickland.

Ibrahim said the entire situation hasprompted him and his wife to havedaily conversations with theirchildren, who are tryingto make sense of a life torn between two countries.

Ibrahim,tried as a civilian by a military court in Cairo, wasamong 71 people accused of betraying the Egyptian government in a2016 mass trial.

The documents state Ibrahimfaces a life sentence and the equivalent of a $1,370 Cdn fine for being a memberof the Freedom and Justice Party, the political wing of the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

It briefly formed Egypt's first democratically elected government a year after the 2011 spring uprising, only to be overthrown by themilitary in a 2013 coup. Since then, the regime has been crackingdown ondissidents,jailingthousands of people, includinghuman rights advocates, health-care workers and a Canadian journalist.

'Huge mistake' by lawyer cited for IRB denial

Ibrahim was denied refugee statusbecause, according to theImmigration and Refugee Board (IRB) decision in the case reviewed by CBC News, his story of attempted arrest and escape from Egypt suffered from a lack of supporting evidence.

For that reason, and for fear of what would happen to the Ibrahims in Egypt should they be deported, CBCNews has decided not to publish the other family members' namesand to blur out their faces in photos.

Ibrahim said the IRB decision was made because of an error on the part of his lawyer, whodidn't submit the Egyptian militarycourt documents showing hewas condemned to life in prison by the court in Cairo.

"My lawyer did a huge mistake. She didn't submit this evidence, the life sentence decision," he said, noting the family received thedeportation order from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) in the last few weeks.

Canadian-born son to be deported with family

"When I look atmy baby child, it's really unfair to remove him from his home country," Ibrahim said of his youngest son, who was born in London.

WATCH |Ibrahim says there's a double standard when it comes to Canada's refugee policy:

The 'double-standard' of Canada's refugee policy

3 years ago

Duration 0:42

Mohamed Ibrahim talks about the double-standard between Canada accepting unlimited refugees from war-torn Ukraine and ordering his family, including his Canadian-born son, deported to Egypt where he faces life in prison for his democratic political beliefs.

Both the CBSA and the IRB declined to comment on the case to CBC News, citing privacy reasons.

It's cold comfort for Ibrahim, whotakesissue with the federal Liberal government ordering him and his family back to Egypt, given its pledge to take an "unlimited number" of Ukrainian refugees fleeing Russianinvasion.

Aiding the Ibrahims' efforts is the southwestern Ontario city's Muslim community.

They've enlisted the help ofa public relations firm on the family's behalfand have engaged in a letter-writing campaign with dozens of community leaders extolling the Ibrahims'community service, including helping Syrian refugees settle in the city.

The Muslim community has also lobbied local Liberal members of Parliament to put pressure on the IRB to reverse its decision. They include Arielle Kayabaga, who represents the Ibrahims' home riding of London West.

Kayabagasaid in an email toCBC News on Tuesday that while she cannot discuss specifics of the case due to privacy reasons, she is advocating to press the Ibrahims'case in Ottawa.

"I am aware of Mohamed'scase, and have been working closely with him and the community to advocate on this behalf, but currently there is no removal date and he is entitled to a pre-removal risk assessment. We will continue to work with him and the community to advocate on his behalf."

In the meantime, London's Muslim community is lobbying Fraser, who has the rarely used power to overturn the IRB decision with the stroke of a pen.

While that hasn't happened, the deportation order hasbeen stayed until a pre-removal risk assessment can be carried outby IRCC,Stricklandwrote in theemail to CBC.

She also said IRCCreceived an application for permanent residency from Ibrahim based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds last August and it'sstill being processed.

"The government is committed to ensuring that every case is assessed based on its merits, in a fair manner and in accordance with Canada's laws," Stricklandwrote.