In a few days our government is planning to deport another Somali refugee who never got his citizenship because of government neglect. Abdilahi Elmi came to Canada as a refugee at age 10. At 13, Ontario Child Welfare apprehended Elmi from his mother. At that point child welfare was the only entity that could legally apply for Elmi’s citizenship—it never did.
We interviewed Toronto journalist, writer and community organizer Desmond Cole, who has been involved in the fight against carding in Toronto for many years. Turns out that much of what’s been happening here in NS occurred in Ontario as well, just a bit earlier. In other words, there are lessons we can learn.
This weekend’s featured video is The Skin We’re In, by Desmond Cole and Charles Officer. A documentary about carding and profiling and racism by a Toronto journalist, but with a surprising amount of Nova Scotia content.