Canadian duo given marching orders

Two Canadian nationals were yesterday fined $800 each and ordered to leave the country after they overstayed their allotted time in the country.

When Samir Unoos and Abdul Hadi appeared before magistrate Bertie Pompey at the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court, they both pleaded guilty to the immigration charges.

Unoos, who was apprehended on July 18, 2017 in Bequia, was charged that he arrived in St Vincent on December 30, 2016 at the ET Joshua airport and given until January 29, 2017 to leave the country, but failed to do so.

Meanwhile, Hadi, who was arrested the same day as Unoos, was charged that he arrived in St Vincent on May 30, 2017, given until June 30, 2017 to leave the country and failed to do so.

The court heard that on July 18, 2017, Unoos was met by police and questioned as to his name and nationality. He gave his name as Abdul Hadi from Canada. He was also questioned about his friend, who he said was at home sleeping and who he told police he only knew as ‘Jay’.

Police then met Abdul at home and both men were handed over to the Immigration Department.

There, they handed over their passports and it was uncovered that Unoos had entered the state in December, was granted one month’s stay and never went into the Immigration Department to extend his stay.

When questioned as to why he gave a false name, police say Unoos told them he thought he would get away with it.

However, on Thursday, Unoos told the court that it was his first time travelling and he wasn’t familiar with the immigration laws. An immigration officer present in the court confirmed that his passport only had one stamp.

Unoos also told the court that he was staying with a cousin, with whom both he and Abdul went to school in Canada.

The men were fined $800, to be paid forthwith, or face three months in prison. A removal order was made.(AS)