CANADA IN THE MATTER of a Humanitarian and PROVINCE OF ONTARIO Compassionate application (H&C) for YOSEF CITY OF TORONTO MATHAI KHOURY, in accordance with section 25(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. AFFIDAVIT OF YOSEF MATHAI KHOURY I, YOSEF MATHAI KHOURY, born on April 17, 1960 in Beirut, Lebanon, mother-tongue Arabic, and currently residing in the Village of Maple in the City of Vaughan, Ontario, DO SOLEMNLY SWEAR TO THE FOLLOWING; 1. I was born in the city of Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, to Syrian parents named MATHAI KHOURY and RABKA KHOURY. I am a citizen of Syria and no other country and do not have permanent resident status in any country other than Syria. 2. Since both Lebanese and Syrian citizenship laws follow paternal lineage, I did not receive any status in Lebanon. 3. I grew up in Lebanon along with my mother, father, and two siblings, Saramma and Maryam, without status. Not belonging in a country that is in constant unrest with your country of citizenship, Syria, was a struggle. 4. All of my immediate and extended family members are now Canadian citizens. I have no family remaining in Syria. 5. I have lived in Canada since February 1994 and the Greater Toronto Area has been my home ever since 6. In the summer of 1990, during the Lebanon-Syria war (War of Liberation), I fled Lebanon with my older sister Saramma, in search of a safe and stable life. I was only 20 years old. Leaving family behind in a war-torn country was one of the hardest decisions we have ever made. We did it to save our lives and eventually theirs. 7. Due to the identifiers found on my Syrian identification documents and my name, I am quickly identified as a Christian by administrative bodies and wider society in both Lebanon and Syria. 8. Beginning in Lebanon, my sister and I travelled from there to Damascus, Syria and then to2 Frankfurt, Germany. We eventually sought refuge in Buffalo, New York in the United States. In 1993 my sister met a guy from Toronto, fell in love and later that year moved to Canada to marry him. I stayed behind in Buffalo by myself. 9. At that time I was studying and juggling a full time job to make ends meet. Life became a struggle very quickly and I began to panic. Being alone in a foreign country was extremely difficult. I was completely lost, hopeless and lonely. Returning to war-torn Lebanon was not an option. The only other country where I had family and relatives that were willing to help me was Canada. 10. In early 1994 I had the opportunity to speak with an immigration consultant in Buffalo. When he found out that I was in possession of a valid birth certificate from Lebanon, his clear advice to me was, "The quickest way to enter Canada would be a refugee claim at a port of entry as a Lebanese citizen, and since you are already in the USA, going to a Canadian border crossing is an easy task." 11. When I entered Canada for the first time in May 1994, I regretfully followed the precise instructions given to me by the immigration consultant and lied about my citizenship upon arrival at the Canadian border. I was young. I did not know better. I was terrified and confused and acted upon an instinct that still haunts me today. I was wrong and I am deeply sorry for my mistake. 12. Over the course of the following 20 years, I made numerous attempts to obtain permanent resident status in Canada as a Lebanese citizen. I feared deportation to Syria, had I come forward and acknowledged that I had entered Canada by claiming to be Lebanese - when I was not. The idea of losing my family was terrifying so I kept my silence. 13. I have finally decided to come forward and claim my true nationality as a Syrian. 14. Syrian nationals are not currently at risk of removal from Canada due to an administrative deferral of removal ("ADR") currently in effect due to Syria's ongoing humanitarian crisis. However, I am asking that my status as a Christian be considered as a key humanitarian factor in my case - as it is an important element of the hardship that I would face should I be forced to return to Syria once the ADR is lifted by the Canadian government. I live with the constant fear of persecution in Syria based on my Christian faith. 15. I am in indefinite limbo in Canada. I cannot go back to Syria - but I have no status in Canada. For this reason, I am asking that you exercise your compassion and grant me permanent residence status in Canada. I acknowledge that I made mistakes in my past. However, in addition to my fear of persecution, I have nothing and no one in Syria. I have no life there. 16. I am the last and only member of my family who does not have Canadian citizenship. I have done my best to be a productive member of Canadian society despite my lack of status.17. 13. 19. 20. 2'1 22. 23. 24. 25. Even though I do not face immediate deportation to Syria, | feel that my lack of status in Canada is preventing me from fulfilling my potential and fully giving back to Canada. There have been some practical hardships associated with my lack of status, such as difficulty in some employment situations and with securing credit. l have had to forgo certain opportunities. including prominentjobs and major asset acquisition possibilities. due to my Irregular Immigration status. I have difculty with employment and securing credit for my endeavours. Even more than these practical hardships, however. i am making an H&C application because I want to be here to help support and care for ail of my family members. especially my mother who is a widow as well as my younger relatives. I am asking to be exempted from the requirement to leave Canada to make a permanent residence application. I cannot return to Syria: it would be devastating to be separated from my family here and potentially very dangerous for me as a Syrian Christian. i want to regularize my status in Canada so that there is no worry that i will not be hereto support my family. In 2005. my family (my father. mother and younger sister Maryam and I} moved into a house we purchased in the village of Maple, which is in Vaughan. Ontario, at 150 Purcell Drive. On paper. my sister and mother are the owners. as my immigration status does not allow me to be a iegal owner, But my mother does not contribute to the upkeep of the house. My sister and I have equal responsibility for the house and we share the expenses. I pay the mortgage and she pays the utilities. . The House was purchased for $309,000 (three hundred and nine thousand} dollars and my mother obtained a mortgage in her name from Scotiabank for the purchase. Currentiy I pay a biweekly payment of $900.00 [nine hundred) dollars and. if alt goes well. the house will be paid off in 2024. l have bank accounts in my own name and a credit card, and | always ensure that I have enough money to pay my baiance as well as pay the mortgage payment every month, I enjoy being self-sufcient. I would rather provide care for my family than receive care from them. I am proud that I have only had to rely on my family members once or twice for nancial help, many years ago. My mother. Rabka Khoury. and | live together. She suffers from osteoporosis and severe osteoarthritis in both knees. She is alone. as my father passed away some time ago. She reiies on my assistance with her daily activities. I am her primary care giver. as well as her moral and physical support. lam responsible for the care and upkeep of our home, which includes doing the laundry for 26. 27. 23. 29. 30. 3'1 32. 33. 34. 35. 4 my mother; cleaning; cooking forthe two of us; and driving her to her medical appointments. Removing me to Syria will put a tremendous amount of stress on her well being. She will soon be 30 years old. She will need me more than ever. I am fortunate to have a large extended family: not just my mother and my two sisters. but also their husbands and children. as well as many younger cousins on my mother's side, many of whom are like brothers to me. When my cousins were growing up. I encouraged them to study hard and complete their education and I often tutored them to ensure they would be successful in school. I am currently employed by Champion Auto Service Center as a Service Advisor and Mechanic. 1 am also the Shop Manager. l was first hired in March 2015 as a MechaniciService AdViSGI'. I have positive working relationships with my colleagues and I am grateful that our workplace is healthy and collaborative. . This job has given me nancial stability and made my establishment in the country even stronger which has. in turn. altowed me to invest in my community and in my family through my direct caregiving. mortgage payments, and other nancial support. Beyond my full-time job and caregiving responsibilities, I am fortunate to have been able to invest in my community, and my social relationships in Canada. There are many charitable organizations that l have supported nancially, including the United Way to which I have contributed $30 per month for the past several years. I am also an artist. l have created more than 1000 pieces of art over the last 25 years. My love for painting began early in my life. My art is very satisfying personally. but also allows me to become more involved in my community. I have a website khouryartca where my works can be seen and purchased. Since 2016, l have been a member of The Helping Hand Society (\"Helping Hand"). a well- known non-prot international charitable and cultural organization for members of the Syrian Christian Diaspora. Helping Hand sponsors and organizes many cultural events, such as concerts by renowned artists, scientific seminars. lm festivals. literary lectures. book reviews and art exhibitions. I have been giving back to my community through my art in coltaboration with Helping Hand. In the summer of 201?, for exampie, a friend asked me if I would donate one of my paintings to their fund-raising efforts. I agreed without hesitation. The proceeds from the sale of my painting 31000.00 were donated to Hetping Hand. 36. 37. 3B. 39. 40. 4'1. 42. 43. In December 2018. I had the privilege of hosting my first solo exhibition at The Art Space in Maple. which included 72 of my paintings. It was one of the most successful exhibits the community has ever seen. The positive response thati received from my community was deeply humbling and heart-warming and the event introduced my name to the community. Fortunately. my community continued to invite me to give back through my art. Soon after the exhibition. upon request. I donated a portrait of St Ephraim. a Syrian saint. to a local Catholic school. It is now proudly displayed in the school hallway. It is mainly used during festivities and for educational purposes. Since 2016, I have been a member of Open Space Art Gallery 3. Studios and. as a result, in October 2019. I was asked by the board to host a community paint night to bring the community together and raise funds for the Gailery's community outreach program. The paint night event was a huge success. lled with laughter and happy participants. ltwas a huge honour for me to host it. As a result. my condence in my ability to bring peopie together grew signicantly and I decided to dedicate more of my time to community- building through my love for the arts. Unfortunately. these in-person art events came. to a halt during the COViD-'lS pandemic. But in October 2021. 5000 after COVID'lg restrictions were Iied. I was approached by the members ofthe Vaughn City Council and asked to oversee a community based art class for seniors. I immediately accepted the offer and now I am a volunteer art instructor for 3 hours every Wednesday night. On January 19. 2021. i donated another painting to an online auction to assist Syrian families displaced due to the humanitarian crisis in Syria. The piece was sold for $800 and all was donated to displaced families. I have deeply enjoyed participating in community-building projects and organizing social events for our community. It is a huge honourfor me to be able to give back to my community. i have used my art as a platform to- raise money for various charities. It allows me to share a very important part of my life with people that i love. lam very grateful for how vast and tight-knit my support network in Canada is, as i have very reciprocal and intimate relationships with many of them. For example, two of my best friends. Robin Traynor and Habib Racha I consider brothers from different mothers as we introduce ourselves. I have known each of them for more than19 years and I am very close with their families as well. Both have recently become grandfathers and despite how much this has transformed their lives. we still keep in touch on a weekly basis. I also think of my dear friend Toma Nasirin when 1 reect on how cherished my support network is. l have known Toma for overa decade and he is the closest thing I have ever had to a brother. Before the onset of the COVlD-19 pandemic. I would see him every week and we still go to many different events tog ether. 44. Beyond providing care to my mother. 1 have also provided care for my sisters' children. since each of them was an infant. They are currently ages 1?. 14 and 13. While they no longer require the same level of supervision as they did when they were very young. I still maintain my role in their lives and continue to make efforts to be present for them. as I am very close to each of them and will continue to be the loving and reliable uncie which they have come to know me as. 45. I have absolutely no family or friends in Syria. nor have i ever lived there for a signicant period of time. I have no means by which i could reintegrate into Syrian society and culture. as i have been away from Syria for most of my life. My identity as a Syrian Christian woutd be easily recognized and likely put me in danger. I am 62 years old. Having to start over in a country that is foreign to me is an unimaginahly difcult and painful prospect. 46. I believe that my circumstances warrant compassion and i am asking that you allow me to remain in Canada. I have done my best. and lam now leading an organized and balanced life. My entire family is here. and they need me as much as I need them. I beg you to grant me permanent resident status in Canada. on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. SWORN BEFORE ME in the City of Toronto, in the Province of Ontario. this 30th day ofjune. 2022, via video conference. with the afant being tn the Village of Maple In the City of Vaughan in the Province of Ontario. Marina Brown YOSEF MATHAI KHOURY Barrister & Solicitor A Commissioner of Oaths Notary Public in and for the Province Of Ontario