'Irreparable harm': Canada court blocks deportation of Indian man, wife has ADHD

A Canadian court has blocked the deportation of Jagjit Singh, an Indian-origin man, citing that his separation from his wife, who has ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), will cause "irreparable harm" to the wife.

According to the court filing, Singh came to Canada in 2021 on a temporary resident visa and made a refugee claim. Then he got married in Canada and his wife applied to sponsor his permanent resident application, and Jagjit Singh withdrew his refugee claim this year.But his removal process already began while his resident application was under review and the Canada Border Services Agency finally ordered him to be deported.

Singh appealed to Canada's federal court against the deportation order and claimed that he would be in danger if he were sent back to India.Singh also claimed that his removal would cause "serious prejudices to his spouse due to her health conditions".

Federal Judge Avvy Yao-Yao Go said she has evidence in front of her that Singh's wife, referred to as LB in court documents, suffers from ADHD which impairs her ability to manage time and everyday responsibilities.

"In the case before me, there is evidence that L.B. suffers from ADHD which impairs her ability to manage time, stress focus and everyday responsibilities and that [Singh] provides her with support by, among other things, helping her maintain daily structure and reminders for medications and appointments, and providing her with emotional stability and mental health support," Go said.The ruling drew backlash on social media, with many users pointing out that ADHD is not that serious.

"The judge who halted an Indian man's deportation order because his wife has ADHD was an activist before being appointed to the bench," one wrote. Many social media users said his wife should also go to India with him. "I wonder how his wife survived before she met him?" one person said. "This is beyond insulting. Not only to people with ADHD, but to our country. So pathetic," another wrote. Go immigrated to Canada from Hong Kong in the 1980s and worked as Clinic Director of the Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic before becoming a judge.