Florin Fodor

{{Short description|Romanian illegal immigrant to Canada}}

{{Infobox person

| name = Florin Fodor

| image = Florin Fodor in Grise Fiord - October 2006.jpg

| alt =

| caption =

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1974}}

| birth_place =

| death_date =

| death_place =

| nationality = Romanian

| other_names =

| known_for = Repeated illegal immigration to Arctic Canada

| occupation =

}}

Florin Fodor (born 1974) is a citizen of Romania who made several efforts to illegally enter Canada. His last incursion gained notoriety as the first illegal immigrant to attempt to enter Canada through its vast and sparsely populated Arctic.{{cite news|url=http://www.cireport.ca/2011/02/2006-romanian-florin-fodor-tried-to-sneak-into-canada-through-the-high-arctic-from-greenland.html|title=2006: Romanian Florin Fodor tried to sneak into Canada through the high Arctic|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211170229/http://www.cireport.ca/2011/02/2006-romanian-florin-fodor-tried-to-sneak-into-canada-through-the-high-arctic-from-greenland.html|publisher=Canadian Immigration Report|archive-date=February 11, 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=December 30, 2023}}{{cite news|url=http://www.canadianshipper.com/security/navigating-the-waters-of-cbsa-carrier-codes/1003080944/|title=Navigating the waters of CBSA carrier codes|publisher=Canadian Shipper|quote=In 2006, the northernmost Canadian settlement of Grise Fiord on Ellesmere Island received an unanticipated guest.|date=May 14, 2014|access-date=December 30, 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170216160013/http://www.canadianshipper.com/security/navigating-the-waters-of-cbsa-carrier-codes/1003080944/|archive-date=February 16, 2017}}

Fodor was first deported from Canada in 2000. He was deported again in 2006, when he is reported to have been returning to family in Canada.

{{cite news|url=http://www.sikunews.com/art.html?artid=2257&catid=5|title=Grise Fiord 'refugee' to court|publisher=Siku News|date=November 12, 2006|access-date=December 30, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080210052903/http://www.sikunews.com/art.html?catid=5&artid=2257|archive-date=February 10, 2008|url-status=dead}} He left Sisimiut, Greenland on September 11, 2006, in a {{convert|20|ft|0|adj=on|order=flip}} fibreglass boat he purchased there, and arrived at Grise Fiord eight days later, on September 18, 2006.{{cite news|url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/romanian-who-boated-to-high-arctic-fesses-up-1.597100|title=Romanian who boated to High Arctic fesses up|publisher=CBC News|date=November 15, 2006|access-date=December 30, 2023|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121113134822/http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/story/2006/11/14/grise-romanian.html|archive-date=November 13, 2012}} Upon arriving, he was almost out of food and had only five litres ({{convert|5|L|USgal|disp=output only}}) of fuel left.

File:Orthographic sisimiut, qaanag, grise fiord.png and Grise Fiord, Nunavut, the endpoints of Florin Fodor's voyage.]]

Fodor pleaded guilty in November 2006 to two charges of violating Canada's Immigration Act.{{cite news|url=http://www.sikunews.com/News/Canada-Nunavut/Jail-for-border-hopper-2280|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726204240/http://www.sikunews.com/News/Canada-Nunavut/Jail-for-border-hopper-2280|archive-date=July 26, 2011|date=November 22, 2006|access-date=December 30, 2023|publisher=Siku News|title=Jail for border hopper}} He was sentenced to seven-and-a-half months of detention. Justice Lise Maisonneuve ruled that Fodor should be deported when his sentence was complete.{{cite web|url=http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=cd32b6cf-fa9e-4faf-8a39-c259d2be0304|title=Judge pulls plug on man's boat immigration|work=Montreal Gazette|date=November 22, 2006|access-date=December 30, 2023|quote=He was deported from Canada in 2000 for a series of criminal convictions. Judge Maisonneuve said Tuesday because of his prior record, he will be deported again back to Romania after he serves his full sentence.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160211190005/http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=cd32b6cf-fa9e-4faf-8a39-c259d2be0304|archive-date=February 11, 2016|url-status=dead|via=Canwest|location=Montreal}}{{cite news|url=http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=d5401d18-1cc7-4248-af84-ede5292936c6&k=8286|title=Man who tried to enter Canada by boat gets jail sentence|work=Ottawa Citizen|last=McCooey|first=Paula|date=November 21, 2006|access-date=December 30, 2023|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121104211002/http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=d5401d18-1cc7-4248-af84-ede5292936c6&k=8286|archive-date=November 4, 2012|via=Canwest}}

Nunavut's then premier, Eva Aariak, cited Grise Fiord's apprehension of Fodor in a speech she delivered to the Nunavut Legislature on February 19, 2009.{{cite news|url=http://www.gov.nu.ca/premier/speeches/2009/feb19.pdf|title=Speech by Premier Eva Aariak on the Federal investment of $100 million for Nunavut Housing|publisher=Government of Nunavut|date=February 19, 2009|last=Aariak|first=Eva|author-link=Eva Aariak|access-date=December 30, 2023|quote=Don't forget, it was residents of Grise Fiord in the high Arctic who first realized Florin Fodor was trying to sneak into Canada via Greenland.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110610131640/http://www.gov.nu.ca/premier/speeches/2009/feb19.pdf|archive-date=June 10, 2011|url-status=dead}} Federal Ministers Chuck Strahl and Leona Aglukkaq were guests of the Legislature. In her speech Aariak cited Fodor's example as a demonstration of how important the people of Nunavut were to protecting Canadian sovereignty.