A Rwandan genocide survivor who sought asylum in Toronto-Canada is scared of being deported to his home country Rwanda saying his life will be in danger.
Richard Uwimana has been ordered by Canadian Immigration officials to report to the Border Services Agency at Pearson Airport for a flight to Brussels en route to his home country Rwanda Wednesday next week.
Uwimana says it’s risky going back because he fears he might be killed by the alleged war criminals he witnessed killing his parents and elder brother during the 1994 massacres in Rwanda.
“I am still traumatized by the death of my three family members killed in front of me.
“I can’t eat or sleep, it’s like the tragedy happened yesterday. I don’t think I will live for long when I go back to Rwanda because the people who killed my family will kill me too” he said.
He also said that some of those that were involved in killing his family were recently released from prison and that when he is sent back, he might be killed since he was a witness.
The genocide survivor spent 14 years in an orphanage in Rwanda and in 2008 he was granted a visa to travel for a conference in Los Angeles to give a testimony as a genocide survivor.
“From the conference I travelled to the Peace Bridge in Canada and for three years it has been my home and I feel safe here,” he pointed out
He was, however, denied refugee status in 2008 Members of Rwandans in Canada are also rallying to stop Uwimana’s deportation claiming he will be killed if he returns to Kigali.
John Rukumbura of the Rwandan Canadian Association noted, “he will be killed by the people who may want to quiet him if he is sent back .This is not a fair decision taken and he should be allowed to stay.”
Exclusively speaking to igihe.com Jean Claude Rwahama, the Director Refugee Affair at MIDIMAR noted, “As the Ministry, we cannot say he is a refugee because he had gone to give testimony and according to the security situation in our country today we can’t give value to his claims.”
“As Rwandans, we now live amicably and both genocide survivors and perpetrators are living together. On top of that he still has his brother and sister who are safely living in Rwanda which makes his claim baseless.”
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