My name is Vanessa Willis, and I own a small business in downtown London Ontario. For the last 5 years, I've had the honor of employing Clara Medina; one of the most joyful and hard working people I've ever worked with. Her emplyoment with us was recently and unexpectedly severed due to the refusal of a work permit she requires to work legally in Canada.

Clara, her husband and their three children have been living lawfully in Canada for more than 6 years. During that time, Clara has completed a diploma program at Fanshawe College, her eldest child has graduated from high school, her middle child is only 2 months away from graduating, and her youngest (9-years old) is a model student who only knows Canada as her home since she arrived when she was a toddler. Clara and her family have followed all immigration laws since they arrived in Canada. Clara had become an absolutely essential member of our team, and I know her husband shared the same status at his job. Their eldest son was also recently promoted to a supervisory position by his employer. They have built a life for themselves in Canada that would not be possible in their home country of Panama, where the minimum wage is about $3/hour, the cost of living is high, and jobs are scarce.

Due to their establishment in Canada and the innevitable hardships they would face if forced to return to Panama, Clara’s family has applied for permanent residence on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. However, due to recent immigration reductions, the waiting time for a decision on this application is estimated to be more than 10 years. Clara and her family have applied for permission to remain in Canada while their permanent residence application is processed. Unfortunately, this request was recently refused, requiring the adults in the family to stop working immediately and the children to stop studying.

This decision doesn’t only affect Clara’s family – it also affects a teenage girl that Clara’s family has been caring for since her father passed away last year. This girl is a permanent resident, soon to be citizen of Canada, who has no other family support in Canada.

We are asking for any donations to help the family navigate their next steps, including:

• Supporting their living expenses

• Legal fees related in their process

• Money to cover flight costs/resettlement if their applications to remain in Canada continues to be refused

Those who know Clara and her family, know that they are hard-working, law-abiding, and caring people that have established themselves as important members of the London community. Any assistance to help them during this difficult time is greatly appreciated.