Florin Fodor
Born1974 (age 49–50)
NationalityRomanian
Known forRepeated illegal immigration to Arctic Canada

Florin Fodor (born 1974) is a citizen of Romania who made several efforts to illegally enter Canada. His last incursion gained notoriety as the first illegal immigrant to attempt to enter Canada through its vast and sparsely populated Arctic.[1][2]

Fodor was first deported from Canada in 2000. He was deported again in 2006, when he is reported to have been returning to family in Canada.[3] He left Sisimiut, Greenland on September 11, 2006, in a 6-metre (20 ft) fibreglass boat he purchased there, and arrived at Grise Fiord eight days later, on September 18, 2006.[3][4] Upon arriving, he was almost out of food and had only five litres (1.3 US gal) of fuel left.

Sisimiut, Greenland and Grise Fiord, Nunavut, the endpoints of Florin Fodor's voyage.

Fodor pleaded guilty in November 2006 to two charges of violating Canada's Immigration Act.[5] He was sentenced to seven-and-a-half months of detention. Justice Lise Maisonneuve ruled that Fodor should be deported when his sentence was complete.[6][7]

Nunavut's then premier, Eva Aariak, cited Grise Fiord's apprehension of Fodor in a speech she delivered to the Nunavut Legislature on February 19, 2009.[8] Federal Ministers Chuck Strahl and Leona Aglukkaq were guests of the Legislature. In her speech Aariak cited Fodor's example as a demonstration of how important the people of Nunavut were to protecting Canadian sovereignty.

References

  1. ^ "2006: Romanian Florin Fodor tried to sneak into Canada through the high Arctic". Canadian Immigration Report. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  2. ^ "Navigating the waters of CBSA carrier codes". Canadian Shipper. May 14, 2014. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2023. In 2006, the northernmost Canadian settlement of Grise Fiord on Ellesmere Island received an unanticipated guest.
  3. ^ a b "Grise Fiord 'refugee' to court". Siku News. November 12, 2006. Archived from the original on February 10, 2008. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  4. ^ "Romanian who boated to High Arctic fesses up". CBC News. November 15, 2006. Archived from the original on November 13, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  5. ^ "Jail for border hopper". Siku News. November 22, 2006. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2023.
  6. ^ "Judge pulls plug on man's boat immigration". Montreal Gazette. Montreal. November 22, 2006. Archived from the original on February 11, 2016. Retrieved December 30, 2023 – via Canwest. He was deported from Canada in 2000 for a series of criminal convictions. Judge Maisonneuve said Tuesday because of his prior record, he will be deported again back to Romania after he serves his full sentence.
  7. ^ McCooey, Paula (November 21, 2006). "Man who tried to enter Canada by boat gets jail sentence". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved December 30, 2023 – via Canwest.
  8. ^ Aariak, Eva (February 19, 2009). "Speech by Premier Eva Aariak on the Federal investment of $100 million for Nunavut Housing" (PDF). Government of Nunavut. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 10, 2011. Retrieved December 30, 2023. Don't forget, it was residents of Grise Fiord in the high Arctic who first realized Florin Fodor was trying to sneak into Canada via Greenland.

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