‘Best interests of this child not being considered’: South African girl whose mom died denied entry into Canada
Efforts to bring an orphaned nine-year-old South African girl to the Cowichan Valley to live with her great aunt have been derailed by the federal government.
“In addition, your sponsor does not meet one of the prescribed relationships as she is neither your sibling, your direct aunt as defined, nor your grandparent,” the High Commission said in the letter to Ryleigh, which Pyne-Mercier shared with theRyleigh, who was just seven at the time of her mother’s death, spent several days alone in the home with her dead mom in temperatures that exceeded 40 C before being discovered.
Court documents from the divorce of Jackie Ridland and her husband in 2016 confirm that the husband had ceded sole custody of Ryleigh to her mother as part of the terms of the settlement agreement. “The most important reason to agree on this is that she will also be in a stable environment because the aunt is more than willing to take care of my daughter,” he said in the affidavit.Pyne-Mercier said she visited Ryleigh in South Africa for a week in October with the belief that she would be coming back to the Cowichan Valley with her, but a month passed without Canada giving Ryleigh the green light to come here and she had to travel back without her.
MacGregor said he is working on Ryleigh’s file and is trying all options in an effort to bring her to Shawnigan Lake. “It’s heartbreaking and I intend to work all avenues to bring Ryleigh here, but the law is what it is.”
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Terrace landslide victims sue city and local developer - Terrace StandardTerraceBC landslide victims sue city and local developer
Read more »
U.S. President Joe Biden to visit Canada in March, White House says - Terrace StandardExact dates and locations for the presidential visit have not yet been announced
Read more »
Police, paramedics shot with pellet gun on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside - Terrace StandardVPD say suspect aimed at them from window of rooming house while they worked below
Read more »
Homicide investigators called after 3 people found dead in B.C. home - Terrace StandardHomicide investigators called after 3 people found dead in B.C. home
Read more »
B.C. senior tracks his shrinking environmental impact for over a decade - Terrace StandardStuart Westie started monitoring physical activity for health, then pivoted to environmental reasons
Read more »
Everyone in California’s Montecito ordered out amid deluge - Terrace StandardTens of thousands without power, as death count related to the storms climbed from 12 to 14
Read more »