Canadian woman stuck since 2021 in Mauritius after passport withheld The Globe and Mail

pIt feels like Im being forced to stay here against my will says Vanita Mirpuri a Canadian woman who hasnt been able to leave Mauritius since 2021 partly because Canada refuses to release her passportVel MoonienThe Globe and MailppA Canadian woman says she has been stuck in the Indian Ocean country of Mauritius for the past five years unable to return home partly because Canada refuses to release her passportppThe Foreign Affairs Ministry of Mauritius says Vanita Mirpuri is prohibited from leaving the country because of a fiveyearold computer misuse charge against her based on a complaint by her former husband But the charge was withdrawn in March and Canada is still unwilling to return her passport without the approval of local authorities she saysppMs Mirpuri surrendered her passport to Canadas honorary consul in Mauritius in 2021 after local police ordered her to do so Since then Canada has deferred to the local authorities telling her to obtain permission from them if she wants her passport backppWhen she asked the Mauritian Passport and Immigration Office to lift the travel ban after the charge was finally withdrawn Ms Mirpuri said the department told her that her former husband had filed another charge against her several years after their divorce so the office refused to authorize the return of her passportppCanada imported nearly 1800 endangered wildcaught monkeys for research sparking calls for a banppThe case raises questions about how Canada responds to citizens who are embroiled in foreign disputes or legal cases Ottawa seems to be increasingly selective about the services it provides in such situations according to Gar Pardy a retired Canadian ambassador who served as directorgeneral of the federal governments consular services for 11 yearsppMs Mirpuri born in Toronto and a graduate of universities in Halifax and Toronto moved to Mauritius in 2006 after marrying a Mauritian businessman She is a licensed coach for students with learning disabilities but is currently making ends meet by renting out a part of her apartment on AirbnbppTo understand her case The Globe and Mail has reviewed court documents email exchanges and letters from lawyers and officials and contacted government departments in both countries ppIn a series of emails over the past three years seen by The Globe Canadian embassy officials repeatedly told Ms Mirpuri that they needed approval from the Mauritian government before they could return her passportppAs you are aware from previous emails from us we have been informed by Passport Canada that we are to hold on to your passport until advised otherwise by the Mauritian authorities Canadian consular official Monique Kemp told her in 2022 in an email from the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria which is responsible for consular issues in MauritiusppThis year after the charge against her was withdrawn on March 18 the consular official said Canada still could not return her passportppThe Saya de Malha Bank is an underwater haven of biodiversity desperately in need of regulationppPlease note that as we were informed in writing by the Mauritian Passport and Immigration Office that your Canadian passport be handed in we will need to receive confirmation in writing from either the Court or the Passport and Immigration Office that your Canadian passport can be returned to you Ms Kemp told her in an email on March 24ppThida Ith a spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada said the department is aware of a consular case in Mauritius and is providing assistance including liaison with local officials but it cannot provide further information for privacy reasonsppThe Mauritian Foreign Affairs Ministry in a reply to questions from The Globe said the government prohibited Ms Mirpuri from travelling outside the country because she was charged with the offence of Breach of Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act She would not be permitted to leave until the case is decided the ministry saidppWe give the assurance that the Ministry remains attentive to the situation and continues to monitor it the ministry added in a statementppWhen The Globe pointed out that the charge had been withdrawn in March the ministry did not provide a responseppA Canadian flag flies at the office of Canadas honourary consul in Port Louis the capital of MauritiusVel MoonienThe Globe and MailppMs Mirpuri says the charge was based on allegations by her former husband who accused her of gaining access to his emails without his consent The police found the charge to be unsubstantiated she told The Globe in an interviewppDespite repeated requests the court in Mauritius has refused to provide her with a written record of the withdrawal of the charge Ms Mirpuri saidppIn addition to the computermisuse charge several other charges have been filed against her as a result of allegations by her former husband over the past several years she said Some have been dismissed by the courts but she cannot verify the details because it has been almost impossible for her to find a lawyer in Mauritius who is willing to represent her with the courts removing one of them without explanation she saidppJaykar Gujadhur a lawyer for her former husband confirmed that the cybercrime charge was related to allegations that Ms Mirpuri had unauthorized access to private and professional data belonging to her former husbandppIt is my understanding that her passport was withheld by the authorities as part of that investigation he told The Globe in response to questions We are not party to the proceedingsppAsked about the courts dismissal of the cybercrime charge earlier this year he did not respondppMs Mirpuri said she was shocked that the Canadian government seemed unwilling to help her They dont really give me a reason she told The GlobeppIm lost I cant understand why this is being prevented It feels like Im being forced to stay here against my willppMauritian authorities who have also imposed restrictions on her movements within the country seem to be keeping her as a hostage in the dispute with her former husband Ms Mirpuri said Thank God Ive got a little bit of income but its almost impossibleppMr Pardy the former consularservices director said the Canadian government seems to be taking a questionable narrow interpretation of its responsibilities to Ms MirpurippFrom what I have seen the High Commission in Pretoria has sidestepped any responsibility to assist Vanita Mr Pardy said after reviewing documents that Ms Mirpuri had provided to The GlobeppHe said it was absolute nonsense for Ottawa to say it cannot provide a passport to one of its own citizens without the permission of a foreign governmentppRémi Larivière a spokesperson for Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada said the department cannot comment on specific cases for privacy reasons But federal regulations allow the department to refuse services in some situations to preserve the integrity of the Canadian passport program he told The Globe in an 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