Under Canadian law, a non-citizen can be incarcerated indefinitely in immigration detention, based solely on administrative grounds.
Call on the Prime Minister, Minister of Public Safety and Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to permanently end the use of jails and prisons for immigration detention.
Canada incarcerates thousands of people on administrative immigration-related grounds every year, including people who are fleeing persecution, those seeking employment and a better life, and people who have lived in Canada since childhood.
People in immigration detention are subjected to solitary confinement, indefinite detention, maximum security jails, and handcuffs and shackles.
A joint report by Amnesty International and Human Rights watch found that people with mental health conditions experience discrimination in immigration detention, and racialized people are disproportionately impacted by this system.
The Canada Border Services Agency incarcerates people in immigration detention in provincial jails, which is a violation of international human rights standards. Our #WelcomeToCanada campaign went coast to coast, calling for an immediate end to the use of jails.
The provinces listened! All 10 provinces have committed to ending their immigration detention agreements or arrangements with the federal government. This was an incredible human rights victory.
However, the fight is not over yet!
Instead of following the provinces’ lead and working to end immigration detention, the federal government plans to use federal prisons for immigration detention, and wants to codify this rights-violating practice into legislation.
We are urging the government to cancel these plans! Please join us in calling on the government to permanently end the use of jails and prisons for immigration detention by passing a policy directive or legislative amendment, and ultimately end immigration detention in Canada.
LEARN MORE
Read Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch’s report: “I Didn’t Feel Like a Human in There”: Immigration Detention in Canada and its Impact on Mental Health
Hear directly from people who have experienced immigration detention:
#WelcomeToCanada: Amina’s Story
#WelcomeToCanada: Abdelrahman’s Story
#WelcomeToCanada: Sara’s Story
