Anyone know anyone (Canadian) at the High Comm?

[Scrummy Mummy]

Obviously Canuck might, but anyone else?

My maid wants to visit her two sisters in Toronto (they both have dual Filipino/Canadian citizenship).

I went to the High Comm with her on Friday (it turned out we had the wrong banker's draft) and we were told (by Singaporean receptionist)that they don't normally allow maids to travel without their employers as they don't have ties to Singapore except through their employers (code for might abscond). We went back today and I'd added to my permission letter the fact that she wouldn't do this as (1) it would compromise her sisters' position in Canada and (2) she has a son in the Philippines that she wouldn't see again as she wouldn't be able to leave Canada without being arrested and he wouldn't be able to get in.

She was interviewed by a Singaporean visa officer for about half an hour. She was told she hadn't saved enough money from her maid salary (I'd advanced her a few months as well and included in my letter that we'd give her a loan if they though her short of funds), that she wasn't a "good traveller" as we hadn't taken her with us on holidays with us therefore she might not be able to cope on her own (!), and the fact that her sisters live there was held against her as making her more likely to overstay. Her visa was rejected. She's really upset.

I'd like to write a letter of appeal to a named Canadian person who has grown up in a legal system that doesn't treat some people as second class citizens with less rights than the rest. Does anyone have a name?

Note: I'm not saying or implying that all or even the majority of Singaporeans treat their maids badly, but it is a sad fact that maids have less status and fewer legal rights than other residents.