CALGARY – A legal bid by Jaskirat Singh Sidhu to remain in Canada as a refugee has been rejected, bringing the truck driver responsible for the 2018 Humboldt Broncos bus tragedy significantly closer to deportation. Sidhu’s lawyer, Michael Greene, confirmed on February 5, 2026, that the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) denied his client’s Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA), which argued that he would face personal danger if returned to India. With this rejection, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is now under a legal obligation to proceed with his removal as soon as possible.
The case stems from the April 2018 collision near Tisdale, Saskatchewan, where Sidhu, a rookie driver, ran a flashing stop sign and collided with a bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team. The crash claimed 16 lives and injured 13 others, sparking a nationwide wave of grief. In 2019, Sidhu pleaded guilty to multiple counts of dangerous driving and was sentenced to eight years in prison. Although he was granted full parole in 2023, his permanent resident status was revoked the following year due to the “serious criminality” of his conviction.
While the refugee claim has failed, Sidhu is making one final effort to stay in the country through an application based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. His legal team argues that he should be allowed to remain because he is well-established in Canada and has a young child with severe, complex medical issues that require specialized care. His lawyer plans to seek a deferral of the deportation until this humanitarian application is decided, a process that could still take several months to resolve.
The news has drawn mixed reactions, reflecting the deep emotional toll the tragedy continues to take on the victims’ families. Some family members, such as Chris Joseph, whose son Jaxon died in the crash, have expressed that the deportation is a necessary step toward justice and personal peace. Others have shown compassion, with some public figures previously suggesting that Sidhu has served his time and should be allowed to stay with his family. If no further legal delays are granted, officials indicate that the deportation could be finalized within a matter of months.
