The family of a 46-year-old Kenyan who died three days after landing in Canada is coming to terms with her demise with detectives investigating her death.
Reports indicate that prior to her death, Delphine Ngigi spent hours in the cold while seeking shelter at Mississauga Refugee Camp.
Canadian-based media house, CBC News, reported that the widow arrived at the camp in Dundas Street on Saturday, February 17 seeking asylum but was turned back as the facility was full.
After waiting in the cold for several hours, she was eventually allowed into the building and given a place to sleep, saving her from the cold weather.
Ngigi collapsed the next day while showering at the shelter after her health deteriorated and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
She was pronounced dead a few minutes later with her cause of her death yet to be disclosed.
Lobby groups consisting of Africans have faulted the management of the facility for the manner in which the situation was handled, noting that denying the deceased access to shelter at a time when temperature was low was not right.
“We are standing in solidarity with the Kenyan community and our sister whom we failed to do our part as Canadians and allow such stories to continue,” a member of the GTA, Africa-Canada lobby group told the press.
Ngigi was a widow with four children who reside in Kenya.
She jetted out in pursuit of better opportunities only to meet her death three days after arriving in Canada.
An autopsy to establish the cause of death is scheduled to be conducted before the body is released to her family for burial.
Rwandan Canadian Healing Centre founder, Kizito Musabimana demanded for justice noting that the current government had failed Ngigi by allowing her to fall through the cracks while pursuing the Canadian dream.
“The basic responsibility the current government has is to make sure that someone comes to Canada to pursue that Canadian dream are not left abandoned to fall in the cracks…People come looking for shelter and we leave them on the street, in this case for several hours,” Musabimana said.
“At a time when we must reflect on the work of black people throughout history. Instead, we continue to see tragedies occurring,” Musabimana added.
The lobby group promised to support the family in giving the deceased her final sendoff.
