Refugee claimants appeal to Whitehorse residents for support

A Mexican family fighting to stay in Whitehorse has started a petition asking residents to support their citizenship applications.

Miguel and Maribell Gonzalez and their four children two of whom were born in Canada could face deportation as early as Thursday, since their claim for refugee status was rejected last year.

They are now trying to apply for citizenship based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. Part of that application hinges on how much support they receive from the community, Miguel Gonzalez said.

"We're trying to show the government that we're a family. We're not just a number, a file," Gonzalez said. "We're just looking for a good place to live, just to have kids."

"We have to be really really strong because our kids depend on us, they count on us to make the right decisions for them," Maribell Gonzalez said. "That's why we're asking the support of the community. It is the last chance. There isn't anything else to do."

The Gonzalez family came to Whitehorse in 2003, saying their lives were in danger in Mexico. They were among more than 50 other refugee claimants from Central and South America who went to the Yukon from Toronto. Many of those claimants have since been deported or they returned to their home countries voluntarily.

Gonzalez said he is also asking the Immigration Department for a pre-removal risk assessment to determine what dangers, if any, his family may face in Mexico. He has asked for an urgent decision, he added.

The family has until Thursday to file the applications. Depending on the outcome, they could be made Canadian citizens or sent back to Mexico in a month.