#WORLD #WORLDWIDE #CANADA #HumanRightsWatch #News #Journal #Update - This World Refugee Day, help get Canada on the path to ending immigration detention

 

It’s time for Canada to truly welcome people seeking safety or a better life. Having trouble viewing this email? Click here.   Take Action Now  #WelcomeToCanada Dear, Back in January 2022, British Columbia’s provincial government in Canada confirmed it would review its immigration detention contract with the federal government. Currently, the contract allows for federally held immigration detainees to be incarcerated in provincial jails. Conditions in provincial jails, which are abusive, could potentially breach federal-provincial contracts across the country. The practice is also inconsistent with international human rights standards given that these facilities are inherently punitive. This month, the Vancouver City Council voted unanimously in favour of a historic motion calling on the BC government to end its immigration detention contract with the Canadian government. The impact of the vote has been immense. Councilor Jean Swanson, who introduced the motion to City Council, stated the hearing on it was “probably the most powerful 45 minutes I’ve experienced here in Council.” Another Councilor stated, “I’m ashamed as a Canadian that we do this.” The historic vote follows a 14-Days-of-Action campaign from last month, where we joined forces to amplify the message of our #WelcomeToCanada  campaign with the help of a coalition of Canadian social justice, academic and grassroots organizations , as well as individuals with lived experiences in immigration detention, and hundreds of lawyers, academic scholars, healthcare providers, and religious leaders across Canada. Multiple groups have submitted statements for the BC government’s review. But the call for the end of immigration detention in provincial jails isn’t just in British Columbia. Since the launch of the #WelcomeToCanada campaign, pressure has been mounting on Canadian authorities. People across Canada have sent about 20,000 emails to the premiers of BC, Quebec, and Nova Scotia, urging them to stop their involvement in the human rights violations taking place against immigration detainees in their jails. It’s time for Canada’s leaders to start listening.   With your help, this World Refugee Day, we can get countries like Canada on the path to abolishing immigration detention forever. It is time for Canada to give people who are seeking safety and a better life the #WelcomeToCanada they deserve. In solidarity,  Samer  Muscati Associate Director, Disability Rights Division Human Rights Watch DONATE TAKE ACTION VISIT HRW.ORG Human Rights Watch | 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor | New York, NY 10118 USA Tel: 1 (212) 290-4700 | news@hrw.org