Montreal family to be separated after mother's asylum claim was refused

Arminda Casanova and her eight-year-old son are photographed in Montreal on Thursday, June 18, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christopher Katsarov

MONTREAL — Arminda Casanova said her son never learned to write in his mother tongue of Spanish after attending several years of school in French in Montreal.

The mother and her son came to Canada from Mexico as asylum seekers in 2022 to reunite with her husband who had filed his own claim a year earlier.

Casanova says the family has integrated into the Montreal community, taking French classes and working in French.

But she and her son are scheduled to be deported on Tuesday and separated from her husband, who is still awaiting a hearing on his own case.

“It’s going to be really hard on my son because he’s very attached to his father, and they haven’t thought about all the emotional consequences and the mental and physical health issues that this separation could cause,” said Casanova.

The Canadian Press has agreed to withhold the names of Casanova’s husband and child to protect their identities as they fear reprisals in Canada and Mexico. His asylum claim hearing is scheduled for September.

Advocates and lawyers say Casanova’s case is part of a broader trend of families being separated due to a tightening of the requirements for asylum seekers and an expedition of removals.

The Canadian Press spoke with four immigration lawyers in Quebec who say they’ve received more requests for help from asylum seekers who may be separated from their families over the last few months than in the previous two years. The Welcome Collective, a non-profit organization in Montreal that helps newcomers, said it has helped 10 families facing separation since March. It only saw two such cases in 2025.

“It’s something we weren’t seeing before,” said lawyer Marie-Odil Marcotte. “It’s not normal that people in Canada find themselves in this situation and that families are torn apart.”

The Canadian government recorded 23,160 deportations in 2025. This was the highest reported total in six years.

The increase appears to coincide with changes in federal immigration policies.

The federal government tabled the Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act last October. It was adopted in Parliament in March. It introduced stricter eligibility criteria for asylum seekers and increased enforcement of removals for those deemed ineligible.

The Canada Border Services Agency said it prioritizes the deportation of those posing “a serious threat to individuals or society” including threats to national security, serious criminal offences or human rights violations.

But Amnesty International and the Canadian Council for Refugees have criticized the law, arguing that it “severely limits the right to seek asylum” and increases the risk of deportation for vulnerable individuals.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said that the Act was passed to “address challenges such as sudden increases in asylum claims and situations where existing processes may be used to circumvent regular immigration pathways.”

The CBSA said the Immigration and Refugee Board “found (Casanova) not to be a person in need of refugee protection.” Casanova appealed, but the decision for removal was upheld and she will have to leave the country on Tuesday.

Casanova said the family fled Mexico after receiving threats of violence and attempted kidnappings of their child.

She was a school teacher back in Mexico and wanted to become a school principal. But she alleges she was blacklisted and denied promotions, due to political corruption.

Once settled in Montreal, she worked in daycares and community organizations. She said working in collective kitchens and offering free meals to those in need deepened her connection to her community.

Meanwhile, she said her son loves his teachers and friends and has been excelling in school.

She said she asked the Canada Border Services Agency to delay her deportation until after her husband’s hearing. If the government approved his claim, he would be able to extend permanent residency to his wife and child. Otherwise, she said all three of them would leave Canada at the same time.

“The important part is that we are together,” Casanova said.

The CBSA told The Canadian Press it only acts on a removal order “once all legal avenues of recourse that constitute a stay of removal have been exhausted,” and said Casanova still has the option of appealing to the Federal Court for judicial review.

Casanova said she cannot afford the costs of pursuing her case in court.

Suzanne Taffot, an immigration lawyer based in Montreal, said she received an influx in clients facing deportation toward the end of 2025, compared to the previous five years.

Taffot said she’s seeing more families be separated even if one parent is still waiting for their hearing – like Casanova’s case.

“As an asylum seeker, if my application is accepted, I can apply for permanent residency and include my partner,” said Taffot. “We’d be paying for plane tickets for people who will ultimately be deported, only to return anyway. It doesn’t make sense, it’s not logical.”

Casanova’s husband, who works in construction, said he was willing to give up his application process to stay with his family. But Casanova insisted he wait until his case is heard as she still has hope his status will be approved.

Flore Morel of the Welcome Collective said the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada rejected Casanova’s claim despite recognizing the risks and violence her family had experienced.

She said the agency told Casanova she and her family could relocate safely to another region in Mexico.

The border agency did not confirm whether this was the case. The agency said Casanova’s risk upon return was assessed by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada’s refugee protection division when her asylum claim was rejected.

According to the federal government, asylum seekers who have their claim rejected can apply for a pre-removal risk assessment only 12 months after receiving the negative decision. This assessment ensures people are not returned to countries where they risk persecution, torture or death.

Casanova said she will be deported before those 12 months are up.

Casanova alleged there were political parties targeting her family all over Mexico and that her family had to move three times before coming to Canada.

“Leaving our country, we felt OK, but leaving here and the friends and chosen family we made here, it’s hard,” said Casanova. “There are so many emotions, at this point I’ve cried so much.”

Taffot said the government wants to send the message that it has a more repressive immigration system. She believes the United States’ crackdown on immigration and a rise in anti-immigrant political discourse in Canada has affected the CBSA’s policy.

“They want to show that this is how it is, that all removal orders are enforced,” said Taffot. “It’s certainly under the current government – the new Liberal government – that we’ve seen this trend actually taking hold.”

An amendment to Canada’s immigration and refugee protection regulations posted on June 20 says it is “expected to support faster decisions and quicker removals.”

Of the 10 cases of family separation brought to the Welcome Collective, Morel said two were deported and the rest are still fighting to stay permanently.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2026.

Erika Morris, The Canadian Press