Several family members of the crash victims had expressed desire for Sidhu’s deportation, reflecting the ongoing emotional and legal complexities surrounding the tragedy
An Indian-origin truck driver, Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, has been ordered to be deported from Canada following a devastating bus crash in 2018 that killed 16 members and injured 13 others of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team. Sidhu, a Calgary resident, drove through a stop sign, colliding with the hockey team’s bus at a rural intersection near Tisdale in Saskatchewan Province on April 6, 2018.
The deportation order was issued on Friday during an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing in Calgary. According to Sidhu’s lawyer, Michael Greene, the decision was expected as it only required proving Sidhu was not a Canadian citizen and had committed a serious crime.
The deportation process, including a pre-removal risk assessment and potential deferral requests, could extend for months or even years
Sidhu, who held permanent resident status in Canada, was previously sentenced to eight years for dangerous driving but was granted parole. Despite his clean criminal record prior to the incident and expressed remorse, the Federal Court in December dismissed attempts by Sidhu’s lawyer to reconsider his case, arguing border officials overlooked these factors.
Greene commented on the situation, highlighting the lack of rights for permanent residents in such circumstances. He noted that they would seek to restore Sidhu’s permanent resident status on humanitarian grounds post-deportation.
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