Abdoul Abdi, refugee at risk of being deported, moved to detention centre in Toronto

A Somali refugeeat risk of being deportedhas been moved to an immigration detention centre in Toronto, according to his lawyer.

AbdoulAbdi, 24,was being held in segregation bythe Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) following his release from a New Brunswick prisonlast Thursday.

Abdi, who just completed a four-yearsentence for crimes including aggravated assault, is at risk of being deported because he is not a Canadian citizen, despite living in the country most of his life.

"He's not doing very well," said Abdi'slawyer, BenjaminPerryman. "He's happy to be out of segregation. He's of course nervous and scared of the upcoming deportation proceedings."

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Abdicame to Nova Scotia as a refugee when he was six years old but was taken into foster care soon after and subsequently lived at more than two dozen foster homes.

It was the responsibility of the province's Department of Community Servicesto make an application for his citizenship, but that never happened.

His lawyer saidbefore the CBSA intervened,correctional services had deemed him safe to release, and had planned to have him stay at a halfway house in Toronto.

"Movinghim there makes him closer to where he needs to be should border services and the Immigration and Refugee Board agree to his release," Perrymansaid.

Province lacks policy for citizenship application

Nova Scotiahas no policy to ensure that immigrant children in foster care are able to apply for and receive citizenship,Perrymansaid.

"From a compassionate perspective, you cannot look at the deplorable treatment Mr.Abdireceived while he was a child in care and the failure to get citizenship and think it's morallyjustifiedto deport him," Perrymansaid.

Cases like Abdi's aren't unique, accordingtoJulieChamagne, executive director of the Halifax Refugee Clinic.

Chamagne saidin some cases,the person thinks they're a Canadian citizen, and doesn't find out they aren't until they're charged with a crime.

Deportations not rare, says advocate

Chamagnesaid despite spending most of his life in Canada,Abdi's life is now at risk if he is sent back to Somalia.

"Abdoul Abdi is going to be deported to a country where Canada issues the starkest of travel advisory warnings, and Canada won't even send its own citizens," Chamagne said.

AbdoulAbdiis going to be deported to a country where Canada . . . won't even send its own citizens.JulieChamagne,executive director of the Halifax Refugee Clinic

"That to me is a terrible contrast. He's someone who should be, and for all intents and purposes is,a Canadian citizen."

ButCanada has a history of deporting people likeAbdi, even when the United Nations found it would be in violation of international law, according to his lawyer.

"International law is clear that deporting somebody like Mr. Abdiin these circumstances would be a violation of the law," he said.

Abdiis set to have a detention review hearing on Monday, and adeportation hearing in the next three to fourweeks, according to his lawyer.

In the meantime, Perrymanis challenging the deportation order in federal court, and saidit's up to the Canadian government to stop it.

"[The federal government] didn't look at the country conditions in Somalia, they did not look at the experience of Mr. Abdi in careand they did not look at the reason why he did not become a Canadian citizen," he said.