Less than one business day after Francois Christiaan Meerholz was named as a suspect in a crime, deportation officials were already reopening his file.
"The Canada Border Services Agency [CBSA] is aware that Meerholz has turned himself in to the RCMP," agency spokeswoman Jennifer Bourque said. "CBSA can confirm that there is an outstanding removal order against Meerholz."
Meerholz has been the subject of deportation proceedings since he was alleged to have committed past crimes in the Prince George area. He is a citizen of South Africa, although he has been in Canada since childhood.
There was no indication that similar proceedings might also be started for his brother Dillan Meerholz, who is also a suspect in the same set of allegations that emerged this week.
"The CBSA is firmly committed to enforcing the provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; however, criminal matters take precedence over immigration matters," said Bourque. "The CBSA is required to wait until all criminal proceedings have been dealt with before proceeding with a person's removal. Removals are the final step in the enforcement continuum, and once a removal order has been issued, the CBSA carries it out as soon as possible."
