We did it! 3-Year-old Andrew Oremade Wins Citizenship, To be Reunited with Alberta Parents

 

After an inexcusable 22-month delay, Canada has finally completed the final stage of 3-year-old Andrew Oremade’s citizenship, the last step in ending the painful separation he has had to endure from his loving, legally adoptive parents Samuel and Itunu Oremade. They expect to be reunited soon.

 

Having kept a vulnerable 3-year-old from enjoying the love and support of his parents at this critical stage of life has been unconscionable. Andrew’s physical, emotional, and psychological health were needlessly placed at risk by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

 

In a statement to the thousands of people who signed a petition in their support, sponsored by the Rural Refugee Rights Network, Samuel and Itunu write:

 

 "We would like to use this avenue to appreciate everyone that supported and signed the petition for Andrew's citizenship approval. We are delighted and look forward to having him with us. It's been a long journey but worth every moment of it. We hope IRCC will do a comprehensive review of their processes to ensure families in similar situations are reunited as quickly as possible. ‘Alone we are strong but together we are stronger’. You all made this happen. Thank you, and God bless!"

 

You may recall that even though the Canadian government was offering evacuation flights from Nigeria in March, 2020, they informed Samuel and Itunu that little Andrew could not come with them. These loving parents could not abandon their son, and stayed on as long as they could despite a worsening political situation that saw riots in the streets near their accommodation. The shooting became so intense that Andrew was traumatized, crying out: “Mummy, lie down, that sound again.” Desperate pleas to the Canadian government for Andrew’s application to be processed were refused while others were processed on similar humanitarian grounds.

This family’s life was on hold for 22 months. Both parents were faced with impossible choices. Samuel had to return to Canada to continue his job, and in December 2020, Itunu did as well. “I was left between the devil and the deep blue sea. I was confused, pained, bitter and frustrated,” Itunu recalls. While her elderly mother offered to help, Itunu says “it hit me hard that I will have to travel without our son. I cried throughout the night, staring at Andrew and wishing God could just make a miracle happen. …No process or country should do this to a little 3-year-old boy. If it’s truly in the best interests of the child, then all hands must be on deck to get the family reunited by allowing Andrew to join his parents and start experiencing the physical love and affection he deserves.”

 

Unfortunately, Canada continues to place obstacles in the way of perfectly legitimate adoptions, forcing loving parents to spend years suffering endless separation while seeking to settle safely with their children. Needless to say, as Samuel and Itunu point out, it’s time for that to change.
 

Thanks again to all who supported, and especially to the family''s tireless lawyer, Alicia Backman-Beharry.

 

Matthew Behrens

Rural Refugee Rights Network