Surrey Leader
Refugee claimant Laibar Singh barely flinches as the needles slide into the skin on his fingers, arms and shoulders.
Apart from the odd gasp, the paralyzed 48-year-old looks content as he receives one of two weekly acupuncture sessions from Dr. Sarabjit K Romana, a registered acupuncturist from Surrey.
Back in the hospital bed in Abbotsford’s Sahib Kalgidhar Darbar Temple where he sought refuge more than a month ago, Singh has a full medical team caring for him, including a physiotherapist, a dentist and a psychologist.
“People think he is helpless,” said Sher-E-Punjab radio host Jasbir Singh Romana, who is visiting Singh. “There is a good reason for him to stay [in Canada]. If he goes back [to India] he will not get the same care as he gets here.”
The widowed father-of-four has been fighting to stay in Canada since he arrived in the country four years ago on a fake passport.
His initial refugee claim was rejected in Montreal in 2004. After exhausting his appeals he moved to B.C., working in construction. But last fall, Singh was felled by an aneurysm that left him paralyzed, bed-ridden and unable to feed himself.
In July, he was in an extended-care facility in Vancouver and was scheduled to be deported. With help from members of the Sikh community, Singh dodged the July deportation order and fled to the temple in Abbotsford.
After developing bladder problems, Singh left the temple to get medical treatment at MSA Hospital, but while he was there Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officers arrested him.
A second deportation, scheduled for Aug. 20, was avoided after Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day granted Singh a 60-day reprieve.
Singh hopes federal officials will let him stay in Canada.
“The care I am getting here [at the temple] I won’t be able to get in India,” he told Black Press through a translator. “My kids are helpless and they won’t be able to provide the same level of care, so that’s the main reason I want to stay.”
Singh returned to the temple two weeks ago after supporters raised the $50,000 needed to release him from border services custody.
The temple also provided a letter to CBSA saying Singh would be made available for removal from Canada. Singh must also report to CBSA by telephone once a week.
Temple president Swarn Singh Gill said he is willing to look after Singh for as long as he is in Canada.
“If the government let him stay we are happy to look after him the way we have for close to two months now,” said Gill.
“We want this guy to get better so he can feed himself.”
Singh’s lawyer Zool Suleman is pressing ahead with his client’s humanitarian and compassionate application.
“That’s where we’re at at the moment,” he said, adding a lot depends on whether Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Diane Finley intervenes. “There are a few unknown factors at this time.”
In the meantime, support from within the Punjabi community remains.
“In the past there have been some examples of people getting a second chance,” said Romana, adding the radio station’s talk shows about Singh have been inundated with support from listeners.
“He deserves it and he comes fully under that definition of compassionate grounds. He is the most fittest case and, personally, I think once someone is in that kind of state he is beyond the worldly jurisdictions. It doesn’t matter which country he comes from, he’s just a human.”
Singh doesn’t want to dwell on what could happen at the end of the 60 days, but he is optimistic.
“I am hopeful I will get a chance to stay here,” he said. “I want to thank everyone because they are doing so much for me.”