South Sudanese man who posed as high school student seeks release from jail

The South Sudanese man who posed as a 17-year-old high school student in Windsor is hoping the government will let him out of jail ahead of a hearing to determine if he can stay in Canada.

A May 11 hearing is already set for Jonathan Nicola, who authorities say is 29.^[1] But his lawyer, Frank Miller, is trying to arrange a hearing before that to get the man released. Miller didn’t know Monday when that new hearing might be.

Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board has already ruled twice that Nicola should remain in jail because they consider him a flight risk. He allegedly lied about his age to get a student visa to enter Canada.^[2]

Nicola, who arrived in Windsor in late November, has been in the South West Detention Centre since his arrest on April 15.

He was caught after applying for a temporary visa to the U.S. as a 17-year-old so he could cross the border with his high school basketball team, the Catholic Central Comets. U.S. officials realized Nicola had previously applied to enter the States as a refugee while claiming he was born in 1986.

Miller said a family friend living in Windsor is willing to post bond and take Nicola in. The person is a “close personal friend” of Nicola’s uncle who lives in Calgary. Miller said Nicola’s uncle and the friend came to Canada from South Sudan at the same time. The friend has the money to put up for whatever the bond will be, said Miller.