Pakistan-born Zain Haq, a 24-year-old student and climate activist from Canada, is set to be deported to Pakistan after a failed attempt to stop the deportation order.
HAQ, co -founder of Save Old Growth Environmental Group, was ordered last year by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) of alleged violations of his study permit related to academic progress.
The order followed his arrest under Gem Old Growth and Extinction Rebellion Protests in 2021 and 2022.
HAQ pleaded guilty to five counts of evil in connection with the protests, but was not considered a violent offender by the courts.
The deportation order was originally canceled when Haq’s wife, Sophia Papp, applied to sponsor him as a resident under humanitarian and compassionate reasons.
However, the authorities refused the sponsorship application and allegedly placed a separate application HAQ submitted for temporary residence in October.
Haq’s lawyer claimed that the process had been abused and that proper process was not followed.
Haq, who arrived in Canada in 2019 to study at Simon Fraser University, worked against a major in history.
His academic progress was investigated as he moved his focus to climate activism, and CBSA decided that he had violated his study permit by not making sufficient progress.
Although HAQ was at one point in academic probation, SFU had supported its continued studies.
The rejection of PAPP’s sponsorship application leaves HAQ facing deportation with no chance of postponement.
Photo: @Regeneration.ca on Instagram
HAQ and his followers have claimed that the deportation order may be politically motivated because of his activism.
Immigration, refugees and citizenship Canada (IRCC) refused to comment on the matter with reference to confidentiality.
HAQ has received support from climate activists, including the leader of the green party Elizabeth May, who expressed concern about the deportation in the midst of ongoing climate rises in North America.
