WINNIPEG—A mother and her two children have been given sanctuary in a Winnipeg church while they wait to hear whether they’ll be deported to their home country of Sierra Leone.

The mother, whose name is Fatmata, came to Winnipeg in 2016 with her husband and two boys on visitor visas for a wedding.

Darrel Guenther, pastor of Crestview Fellowship Church, told CTV News that Fatmata’s husband left the family behind and returned to Sierra Leone.

The pastor says the man has since divorced her, remarried, and sold her possessions.

He says the woman has nothing to go back to and fears for her safety and that of her children if she is forced to return.

The family was due to be sent back on April 11 and has been living in the church since then while a lawyer the church hired appeals the deportation.

“She is a female and her rights in Sierra Leone are diminished because of that. Her husband is wealthy and influential which makes that even worse,” Guenther said.

Immigration Citizenship and Refugees Canada said it couldn’t comment on the case due to privacy reasons.

Guenther told CTV News the church has been upfront with Immigration Canada and Border Services about the family in the church.

“We want to be honest in what we do, so we told them right off the hop that Fatmata and her boys were here and were safe,” he said.

Members of the church have installed a shower, as well as a washer and dryer, to make the space livable for the family.

The appeal is expected to take between eight and twelve months. Guenther said a teacher is working with the boys so they can keep up with some of their education.

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