“To the Honourable Ahmed Hussen,
WATCH: Growing pressure on federal government over interrupted Japanese adoptions
That’s the start of a letter by a Grade 1 student, urging Canada’s immigration minister to let adoptive parents bring their kids home from Japan.
And it’s just one letter being written by students in Elizabeth Kok’s class at West Vancouver’s Mulgrave School.
“Six- and seven-year-olds know the difference between fair and unfair,” Kok told Global News.
They come as five families await visas from the Canadian government after they were given the all-clear by B.C. to travel to Japan to complete their adoptions.
One woman who was approved to adopt a baby girl is now staying in a Tokyo hotel as she awaits the visa.
Others have returned home in what a lawyer for the families has called a needless legal limbo.
READ MORE: Canadians adopting in Japan needlessly living in legal limbo, lawyer letters say
The issue stems from confusion over the American government being told that Japan’s courts must authorize inter-country adoptions under Japanese law.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) wants clarity on whether this affects Canadians. It wasn’t previously part of the process for Canadian families that adopted kids in Japan.
Legal opinions from Japan have been clear: one said a court order is not needed in Japan to transfer custody of a child for adoptions to Canada.
Another said final adoption orders obtained in B.C. have legal effect in Japan.
“Whenever we kind of reach the end of the week, we know we’re in for another two days of not knowing and stewing, not knowing we’re going to get more information, and that’s just hard,” said adoptive father Lee Fodi.
Support from friends and family keeps Lee and adoptive mother Marcie Nestman going.
They also have support from six- and seven-year-olds who are targeting the government for dragging its feet.
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