Hamilton community rallies around Kenyan refugee ahead of deportation

A Kenyan refugee who has lived in Hamilton for the past eight years says he's fearing for his life as government officials try to deport him back to the warn-torn country from which he fled.

John Mulwa says the dream he has lived since arriving to Canada in 2014 is on the brink of an abrupt ending after the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) ordered him to report to Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday to begin his deportation process.

It is very dangerous for me in Kenya and I worry if I go back, I could be killed," said Mulwa, who declined to share specifics regarding his safety concerns. I love this country, I feel Canadian. I do not want to leave."

This comes after a costly, years-long effort by Mulwa to gain refugee status in Canada. The 39-year-old local said he's spent around $30,000 in legal fees to appeal repeated rejections of his asylum applications.

I have tried everything," he said, audibly emotional.

John has exhausted every option available to him," added Mulwa's lawer, Joshua Makori. It's very unfortunate that people like John, who've given everything to be a part of Canadian society, are not allowed to stay."

The CBSA couldn't immediately be reached for comment. A spokesperson with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said they couldn't comment on Mulwa's case due to privacy legislation.

While Canada is supposed to deport someone facing removal as quickly as possible, Makori noted it often takes years to remove them due to lengthy appeals processes. In the meantime, those people can work, pay taxes and put down roots in the country.

And that's what Mulwa said he hopes border officials will consider when he makes a last-ditch plea to stay on Monday.

I pay my taxes every year, I work hard, I give back to my community, I've never depended on government assistance," he said. I feel like they should look at what I've done for my community."

Indeed, the local chef and farmer is well-known in Hamilton's Kenyan community for his willingness to help others, be it preparing meals for the homeless, organizing annual barbeques or growing several African crops that are rarely found in Ontario.

He's the only one I know who grows white corn, which we like a lot in Kenya," said Grace Mugambi, who also moved from Kenya to Hamilton as a refugee.

Mugambi had open-heart surgery three months after arriving in Canada in 2018. As is custom in Kenyan-Canadian circles, a call was put out to see if anyone could help a sick newcomer with few connections in her new city.

John showed up on my doorstep with groceries and he started cooking," Mugambi, 68, recalled of her first encounter with Mulwa. And he stayed with me. I didn't know anyone and he came and cooked for me. Not for one day or one week, but for months.

I have never, ever met someone like him. I consider him a son."

He'd give the shirt off his back for anyone who asked," said Megan Murphy, who helped Mulwa partner with her family's Binbrook farm (Murphy's Country Produce) to grow African vegetables. He's established such a life here and has helped so many people."

Nearly 3,000 people have signed a petition imploring the government to halt Mulwa's deportation and grant him refugee status. The petition lists all kinds of work Mulwa has done since arriving in Canada, from cooking for an Ontario military base school and Columbia International College to volunteering for several African-Canadian societies.

And that just touches a fraction of what he does," said Murphy, who's also Mulwa's girlfriend. I'm absolutely devasted by all of this. He's always in good spirits, so to see him worried like he is now ... it's tough to even think about."

Mulwa said he will attend Monday's meeting the CBSA with his head held high.

I am not afraid of talking to anyone because I am not illegal," he said. I am a refugee who loves his community, and I want them to know that before they tell me to go."

Sebastian Bron is a reporter at The Spectator. sbron@thespec.com