A pregnant woman and her eight-month-old baby who were being deported from Canada on Thursday were taken off a flight bound for Guyana after the mother was deemed unfit to travel, according to a report in the Toronto Sun yesterday.

The report said that Savita Devi Boodram, 42, of Toronto, and her baby were boarding a flight at Pearson airport when a letter was received from her doctor, her lawyer Guidy Mamann was reported as saying. Mamann said the doctor told immigration officials that Boodram is suffering from a high-risk pregnancy and therefore should not be travelling.

“It is pretty harsh to be putting her on a plane,” he was quoted by the Toronto Sun as saying. “She is pregnant and has a child in one hand and they’re sending her back to Guyana.”

Mamann related that Boodram arrived in Canada as a visitor several years ago and overstayed her visa. She married a Canadian man, who suffers from schizophrenia, he said.

“She has little money and no relatives in Guyana,” her lawyer said, adding “The airline used common sense that the immigration department didn’t have.”

Anna Pape, of the Canada Border Services Agency, told the Toronto Sun she couldn’t discuss the case, citing privacy laws.

“The decision to remove someone from Canada is not taken lightly,” Pape said . “Everyone ordered removed from Canada is entitled to due process before the law.”

She said removal orders are subject to various levels of appeals.

“Unsuccessful applicants must respect our laws and leave Canada when advised,” Pape told the Toronto Sun. “The integrity of the system depends on this.”

She noted that her officials consult with medical professionals and rely on their expertise in determining if a person can travel.