Shezan Muhammedi is an Acting Assistant Director at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and an Adjunct Research Professor at the University of Carleton. He is the author of Gifts from Amin – Ugandan Asian Refugees in Canada.

In 1972, Ugandan dictator Idi Amin ordered the expulsion of nearly 80,000 Asians, predominantly of Indian descent, giving them just 90 days to leave the country. Many of these individuals, whose families had lived in Uganda for generations, were stripped of their assets and forced to flee. Canada, under Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, was one of the countries that responded by welcoming approximately 7,000 Ugandan Asians.

Meera Thakrar is a Partner at Larlee Rosenberg, Barristers & Solicitors. Her father was one of the Asian Ugandans expelled by Idi Amin.

Shezan is continuing to collect the oral histories of Ugandan Asian expellees as part of a study. If you would like to share your story with him please contact ShezanMuhammedi@cunet.carleton.ca 

Richard Mosley is a retired judge from the Federal Court of Canada, with a background and specialization there in national security cases.

We discuss the path to becoming a judge specializing in national security, the unique physical environment of working on such cases, and the security provisions within Canadian immigration law. Other topics include delays in processing, abuse of authority, CSIS, mandamus applications, the art of decision writing, and the importance of diversity on the bench. 

Deanna and Steven discuss the most baffling rules and programs in Canada’s immigration system. We also answer multiple requests to comment on the Canadian Immigration Lawyers Association recent statement that immigration consultants should be restricted to working for lawyers.

This episode features Steven and deanna in discussion with Ryan Rosenberg — managing partner at Larlee Rosenberg (the firm where Steven is a partner). The subject of the discussion is Americans seeking to emigrate to Canada following the re-election of Donald Trump. The discussion covers cross-border travel, mobility provisions under the NAFTA (now CUSMA), and predictions for anticipated border crossing in the months preceding and following President Trump’s inauguration.