Oremades lives in Airdrie, Alta, and their adopted son is under the care of Itunu’s 79-year-old mother in Lagos, Nigeria.

The first phase of Andrew’s adoption application was approved on December 7, 2018. But the second part will enable him to have Canadian citizenship and the ability to enter Canada. At present, the application has been in the processing queue for 22 months and the documents have not been updated.

“Too painful”

Between the case reported by CBC News and other cases confirmed by the family, Oremades said that adoptions of at least three months or more were several months later than they were submitted to the same Canadian High Commissioner’s Office in Accra, Ghana, which handled West Africa’s application has been approved. Country of Citizenship.

“It’s painful. We talked to him using video calls and he kept asking questions,’Oh, mom, you tell me you will be back.’…There really is no explanation,” Itunu said. “He kept asking…’Why can’t I come over?'”

Samuel said: “You don’t know how to explain to a three-year-old, well, his application is being processed. It will take 22 months.”

When Oremades started adopting it in 2016, they were ready to turn it into a long and expensive process. They said that what they were not prepared for was a lack of transparency.

Samuel said: “We decided to cross Nigeria because… we want to have a person of our background, a person of our culture.”

He said the couple went through all necessary formal procedures. The adoption was approved by the Nigerian government and the Alberta Children’s Services Agency.

The couple went to Nigeria. They said that they were initially informed by the Accra office that it was only a few months to process their son’s citizenship and that they wanted to spend the first Christmas of a family in Canada.

Accidental separation

But months passed, and Samuel had to go home to work. Before Itunu was forced to join his family (separated their new family), he exhausted his parents’ vacation and vacation.

While waiting, Lagos saw the turmoil and exchanged fire during the protest against the brutal police force not far from home.

The lawyer representing the family, Alicia Backman-Beharry, said that Andrew would tell his mother: “Mom, we have to put down our footsteps, because of the bullet, the sound comes again.”

Andrew also contracted malaria and sent him to the hospital when Nigeria experienced a surge in COVID-19 cases.

“Why can’t I go home?”

The couple said that they have been in contact with the Office of the Minister of Immigration, local MPs, Immigration Canada, Refugee and Citizenship (IRCC) and Accra Office for several months, but there is no response or just to indicate that their son’s case is ongoing. Queued responses.

Sometimes, they send information requests via e-mail almost every day, emphasizing the urgency of their situation.

Itunu said: “Are we really, really? … nothing happened. July, it will be two years. This is a child. We hope that he will grow up with our family.”

Oremades said that they have been questioning why other cases were dealt with instead of other cases. In their emails to the government, they questioned whether systemic racism or their country of origin played a role.

Other families are white, while nematodes are black.

“[This] Although the news is a happy ending for the Canadian family, it plunged Itunu and I into deeper pain. “Samuel wrote.

“Our family is a few months earlier than these families…. What could be the reason for this?”

IRCC said the office has limited processing power

IRCC declined the interview and stated in an email statement that the second part of the international adoption application will take at least 6 to 8 months, and in some cases it may take 2 years or more.

Due to the pandemic, IRCC said that with employees being repatriated to Canada, almost no officials in Ghana were able to process applications.

Backman-Beharry said: “In addition to filing an application to the federal court… basically saying that immigrants are obliged to take action, the family has little to do.”

“[It’s] It is heartbreaking to talk to parents and hear their pain. “

Local MPs questioned the “long delay”

Banff-Airdrie (Banff-Airdrie) MP Blake Richards said his office has been in regular contact with IRCC to send family members updates on the situation.

In an emailed statement, he said: “There seems to be an unacceptably long delay in processing this document, which I clearly stated directly to the Minister of Immigration.”

IRCC also said that during the pandemic, it has implemented priority procedures for vulnerable groups, family members seeking reunion, and people providing basic services.

It did not say whether to make the Oremades case a priority.

Watch | Pandemic threatens thousands of Canadian citizenship delays

Backman-Beharry said that due to the pandemic, IRCC can process citizenship applications remotely. IRCC has not yet answered the question on whether the case can be handled in Canada on Wednesday.

Backman-Beharry said that based on the cases she has handled before, she suspects that the Canadian High Commissioner may not have clear concerns about adoption in Nigeria.

“If the Canadian High Commission is worried… then that is something they absolutely need to talk about [with the involved agencies and authorities about] To ensure that their concerns are fully resolved. “she says.

Backman-Beharry said: “As a Canadian, this is disappointing. I hope that if there is a problem… investigate.” “This is one of the principles of natural justice and can respond to your lawsuit.”

“What are we going to tell him again?”

Itunu said that the couple are happy to propose any paperwork, solve any problems, and hope to see their family reunite.

Canada is a signatory to the Hague Convention, an international agreement designed to ensure that adoption is in the best interests of the child.

“Go through this process [the goal] It is necessary to have a stable home for him to grow up in a family environment. IRCC tells us that they are considering the child’s best interests…I don’t know how his interests are protected,” Samuel said.

“If we return to Nigeria, his documents are not ready… We must return home. What are we going to tell him again?” Itunu said.