The Canadian Department of Immigration “sympathizes” with the family of a “guardian angel” who was refused permanent residence because his pancreatic cancer represents an “excessive burden” on the health system.

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However, Ottawa does not intend to reverse its decision, thus exposing the beneficiary attendant, his wife and two of their children to their deportation from Canada to Haiti.

“We understand that decisions on immigration cases can have a profound impact on the lives of individuals. However, each case is assessed on its merits, fairly and in accordance with the laws of Canada,” Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Sean Fraser said in a statement.

Yverno, who wanted to keep his last name a secret so as not to worry his relatives in Haiti, came to Canada in 2017 as an asylum seeker after crossing Roxham Road, unaware that he was ill. cancer. In 2018, the government refused his asylum request.

“I did not arrive with this excessive burden for the government,” he explained to the Journal de Montréal during an interview at the end of July.

His pancreatic cancer was diagnosed in Quebec in 2018. His medical follow-up, whose annual costs for the State are estimated at $24,057, includes monthly injections, as indicated by his medical certificate.

The 42-year-old has worked in the healthcare system since the start of the pandemic and was therefore considered a healthcare worker by the state.

With this new status in his pocket, Yverno had applied for permanent residency through the federal program for “guardian angels” set up at the end of 2020, but his application was refused for “medical reasons” at the month of March this year.

Yverno subsequently filed another application, this time on humanitarian grounds, but his application was also denied in May.