Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, an Indian-origin truck driver, has been ordered to be deported to India after a tragic accident that killed 16 members and injured 13 others of the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team in 2018. The decision was made on Friday at an Immigration and Refugee Board hearing in Calgary.

The accident occurred on April 6, 2018, when Sidhu, a truck driver from Calgary, ran a stop sign and collided with the Humboldt Broncos’ bus at a rural intersection near Tisdale, Saskatchewan. Sixteen people on the bus were killed and 13 others were injured.

Sidhu, who holds permanent resident status in Canada, was sentenced to eight years in prison for dangerous driving. He was granted parole, and his deportation was anticipated given his status and the severity of his crime.

Michael Greene, Sidhu’s lawyer, stated that the decision was expected. “It’s pretty open and shut,” Greene said, according to the Canadian Press news agency. “There’s nothing to contest, so those are as clear as day. These hearings are usually done lickety-split.”

Greene expressed concerns about the lack of rights for permanent residents in such situations. “This is part of the sadness of the whole process. We’re left with a situation where permanent residents have no rights whatsoever to have their personal circumstances considered,” he said.

Sidhu’s lawyer had previously argued that border officials did not consider Sidhu’s clean criminal record prior to the incident and his remorse, but the Federal Court dismissed these applications in December.

Despite the deportation order, Greene mentioned that Sidhu won’t be immediately taken into custody. A pre-removal risk assessment must be conducted, and Sidhu can request a deferral while his application for reinstating his permanent resident status on humanitarian grounds is considered. This process could take months or even years.

Several family members of the crash victims have expressed their desire for Sidhu’s deportation, adding emotional weight to the legal proceedings.