Canada should end its abusive and discriminatory immigration detention system, Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, said on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th June, 2021) Canada should end its abusive and discriminatory immigration detention system, Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canada, said on Thursday.
The call to action corresponds to a Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International report titled, "'I Didn't Feel Like a Human in There': Immigration Detention in Canada and its Impact on Mental Health" in which immigration detainees, including refugee claimants, described the system as abusive, discriminatory and harmful to mental health.
"Canada's abusive immigration detention system is in stark contrast to the rich diversity and the values of equality and justice that Canada is known for globally," Nivyabandi said in a joint statement. "Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch call on the Canadian authorities to end the inhumane treatment of people in the immigration and refugee protection system by gradually ending immigration detention in Canada."
Former detainees - not held on any criminal charges or convictions - described being held in some of the country's strongest-security provincial correctional facilities, where they were handcuffed, shackled, searched, kept in solitary confinement - often in tight quarters - and constantly monitored.
Samer Muscati, associate disability rights director at Human Rights Watch, said that with many detainees being released because of COVID-19 concerns, Canada has an opportunity to revamp the system to prioritize mental health and human rights.
According to the report, 8,825 individuals between the ages of 15 and 83, were in detention on immigration-related matters between April 2019 and March 2020, with 1,932 in being incarcerated provincial jails.
The human rights advocacy organizations also urged the Canadian government to establish an independent oversight body over the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), which according to the report remains the country's only major law enforcement agency without independent civilian oversight.
Public Safety Canada and the office of Public Safety Minister Bill Blair did not respond to Sputnik requests for comment.
