A local businesswoman, hailed as an example of the contributions newcomers make to their community, is stuck in bureaucratic limbo and unable to return to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Federal and provincial government officials were on hand for the official opening of Constanza Safatle’s Newbornlander store on Cashin Avenue back in March, but she now feels abandoned.
Safatle and her family traveled to their home country of Chile for a family matter. She received her Permanent Residency in Canada in August, but didn’t receive here e-COPR, which is the Electronic Confirmation of Permanent Residence in Canada.
Safatle has a paper document, but it’s not valid for travel, and she was certain she’d receive the electronic confirmation while in Chile. Her husband received his, but she’s still waiting, and stuck in Chile while her family has returned to Newfoundland.
She’s being offered other remedies, all of which will leave her family out of pocket and she pulled no punches in her assessment of how the federal government handles immigration.
“This (is) happening across Canada,” says Safatle, but people are staying in silence because they are afraid. She says she’s not afraid to speak out, but she is fearful of the kind of immigration rules and policies in place that are affecting her and others.
Safatle is urging provincial Immigration Minister Gerry Byrne to be her champion and challenge the federal government to do better.
(File photo.)
Gerry Byrne says unfortunately, Constanza Safatle is not alone.
Byrne says the province is doing what it can to nominate immigration candidates, but while the province’s service delivery standard is 30 days, the federal government’s is 26 months.
That, says Byrne, has led to a significant backlog in people wanting to make NL their home and waiting on federal government papers.
He says regrettably, there are currently some 5,100 people waiting for their permanent residency status—equivalent to the size of the town of Carbonear.
Byrne says he’s going to do what he can to help Safatle and others waiting to become permanent residents of Newfoundland and Labrador.
