Pakistani-born Zain Haq, a 24-year-old student and climate activist from Canada, is expected to be deported to Pakistan after a failed attempt to stop the deportation order.
Haq, co-founder of the Save Old Growth Environmental Group, was ordered deported last year by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) for alleged violations of his study permit, related to academic progress.
The order followed his arrest during the Ancient Rebellion and Extinction Save protests in 2021 and 2022.
Haq pleaded guilty to five counts of mischief related to the protests but was not considered a violent offender by the courts.
The deportation order was initially reversed when Haq’s wife, Sophia Papp, applied to sponsor him as a permanent resident on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
However, authorities denied the spousal sponsorship application and allegedly misplaced a separate application that HAQ had submitted for temporary residency in October.
HAQ’s lawyer argued that the process was mishandled and due process was not followed.
Haq, who arrived in Canada in 2019 to study at Simon Fraser University, was working toward a major in history.
His academic progress was scrutinized when he shifted his focus to climate activism, and the ACBSA determined that he had violated his study permit by not making sufficient progress.
Although Haq was on academic probation at one point, SFU had supported his continued studies.
The rejection of PAPP’s sponsorship application leaves HAQ facing expulsion with no possibility of reprieve.
Photo: @regeneration.ca on Instagram
Haq and his supporters have argued that the expulsion order may be politically motivated because of his activism.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) declined to comment on the matter, citing privacy regulations.
Haq has received support from climate activists, including Green Party leader Elizabeth May, who has raised concerns about the eviction amid North America’s ongoing climate crises.
