Deportation fear to citizenship: Winnipeg family’s journey comes full circle

CTV’s Harrison Shin has the story of a family in Manitoba and their journey to becoming Canadian citizens.

A Winnipeg family once facing deportation is now preparing to officially become Canadian citizens.

Six years ago, Luiz Antonio Rodrigues Bonito and his family were on the verge of being forced out of Canada. But today, they’re celebrating a major milestone.

All three members of the household—Luiz, his daughter Ana Sofia Rodrigues Suarez, and his wife—will be sworn in as citizens on Canada Day.

“I’m very, very happy,” said Bonito. “All of my dreams come true.”

Bonito, born in Brazil with Portuguese citizenship, grew up in Venezuela, where his family ran a successful business. Due to the escalating violence and political instability, they decided to flee for safety.

Bonito applied for refugee status—but his claim was denied. The Canadian government told him he could safely return to Portugal, despite Bonito never having lived there.

“I know that when I get to Portugal, we’ll be in trouble,” he told CTV News.

Back then, Bonito feared for his future.

“I cannot do it because I must leave. I am not legal here,” he said at the time.

But just six months after speaking to CTV News in 2019, Bonito and his family were granted permanent residency.

“They gave me a temporary permit, and then about six months after they gave me my permanent residency—for me and my family—and everything went fine,” he said.

For Ana, the journey was equally stressful.

“I always felt very stressed and overwhelmed by it. I was very scared of what was going to happen next,” she said.

Now a recent high school graduate, she’s grateful for the way things turned out.

“I’m just glad that everything worked out.”

Bonito said the support of Winnipeggers made all the difference.

“They say Winnipeg is the coldest city in the world,” he said. “They are wrong. It’s the most hot and warm because of the people.”