Our story

JUAN RAMIREZ
20 Statements of History and Fact

1. Juan Ramirez came to Canada about 10 years ago to claim refugee status.

2. He was a ranking officer in the military of Colombia. Coming from a poor background, Juan was proud to join the military and took full advantage of the education, training, programs and prestige offered in the military through which he was able to better himself in ways that are not available to many of the impoverished citizens of Colombia.

3. Juan gradually became aware of atrocities committed by the military against Colombian citizens about which he complained to his senior officers.

4. Superiors told Juan to forget what he heard and what he saw and, for good measure, a senior officer fired a gunshot just over Juan’s head as a warning about what would happen to Juan if he continued to complain about atrocities.

5. Fearing for his safety, he fled to Canada to claim refugee status.

6. Juan made his refugee claim in Canada. He conducted his own refugee hearing, without the benefit of legal counsel, or any counsel, and he spoke no English at that time. Juan believed his case was so compelling, and the Canadian judicial proceedings so fair, that it was not possible that he, could lose his refugee claim.
He did.

7. Juan was too inexperienced in Canadian refugee law to realize that his refugee hearing was spiraling out of control. The hearing that Juan thought was proceeding in his favor concluded that he was not a refugee and, more damaging, that he had, by virtue of his association in the Colombian military, also committed crimes against humanity.

8. Juan did not know for many years following his unsuccessful refugee hearing that the refugee judges determined that he committed crimes against humanity.

9. Not having legal counsel to advise him, Juan also did not know he could or even should apply to Federal Court to have his case sent back for a new refugee hearing particularly on the allegation that he committed crimes against humanity.  This unsubstantiated allegation against him has gone unchallenged ever since.

10. There never has been, and there still is not, any evidence of any kind that Juan Ramirez ever committed any crimes against humanity. There is no such evidence because it never happened. Juan has certificates from both the civilian government and the military in Colombia verifying a clean record.

11. Juan was deported from Canada in 1999. He went, not to Colombia, where he still feared for his life, but to Spain where he was later joined by his wife, Dara. They later returned to Canada together where Juan once again made a new refugee claim, all of which was permitted by Canadian law at that time.

12. Juan waited in Wolfville for several years for his new refugee case to be called for a hearing to confirm that he was indeed a refugee and to show that he at no time  committed any crimes against humanity In the meantime, while waiting, Juan distinguished himself in Wolfville, and in the Annapolis Valley, as a prolific dad, devoted husband, competent business owner, employer, community volunteer, promoter of fitness to children and adults, soccer coach, teacher and confidante to children younger and older, and a respected soccer referee.

13. After a wait of several years, Immigration contacted Juan, not to schedule his much anticipated second refugee hearing, but to deport him from Canada again as a person who, according to the immigration department, had committed crimes against humanity.

14. Juan was deported back to Colombia leaving behind in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, his wife and three children, a business, and many children who relied upon Juan as their soccer coach, teacher and referee.

15. In his absence, Juan’s wife Dara, applied to sponsor Juan to immigrate to Canada as the husband of a Canadian citizen.

16. Dara has since been accepted by Immigration Canada as a qualified spousal sponsor.

17. Juan’s immigration application is now being processed at the Canadian Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.  It is feared that the gratuitous, unsubstantiated, allegations of “crimes against humanity” will cause his immigration application to fail precluding him from ever being able to return to Canada to be reunited with his family and his community.

18. Juan Ramirez has never had an opportunity in Canadian law to clear his name.

19. There is no evidence to support these heinous allegations. Juan did not commit any crimes against humanity.

20. In Canadian law a person is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. Juan Ramirez was unknowingly declared guilty without ever having a chance to prove his innocence.