A family living in London is appealing to the public for support as they face deportation to Colombia after being denied refugee status in Canada.
The Regalado family has received notice from the Canada Border Services Agency - a "Direction to Report" - a deportation letter indicating the date and time of their flight back to Colombia.
So unless their last ditch attempt to stay in this country is successful, the family of four is heading back to Bogota in less than three weeks on Dec. 2nd.
Johanna Santos Regalado says, "My family, really, really needs to stay in Canada, my familiy cannot go back to Colombia. Please."
Their lawyer is trying one last time to keep the family of four from being deported, by filing a motion in federal court.
But that comes with legal fees the struggling family of four simply can't afford.
Johanna has a physical disability, while her husband works painting and cleaning to try to make ends meet.
Their children, Laura, 13, and Juan, eight, are worried about what might happen to them if they are forced to head back to Colombia.
Laura says, "I really don't want to go back to Colombia, because I might not see her again, she might die. We won't have a good future there."
The family fled the country in 2013 after receiving threats from the FARC, a guerrilla movement also known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Upon arrival in Canada they applied for refugee status, but numerous efforts to stay in Canada have failed.
The family believes the reason for their deportation is that the Canadian government does not deem the current situation in Bogota, Colombia, to be a dangerous threat to the family.
The children's school is also fundraising - calling tomorrow 'Fun Fundraising Friday' - in an attempt to help their classmates stay in a country that offers them safety and a promising future.
A family friend has also started a GoFundMe page to raise money to cover the family's legal fees.
