HANSARD: Question on putting thousands of refugee claimants and migrants in jail
Speaker: Ms. Kwan
Time: 14/11/2022 14:48:32
Context: Supplementary Question
Time: 14/11/2022 14:48:32
Context: Supplementary Question
Ms. Jenny Kwan (Vancouver East, NDP): Mr. Speaker, Canada has put thousands of refugee claimants and migrants in immigration detention in provincial jails, even though they have not committed any crimes. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International are calling on the Prime Minister to end this abusive practice. B.C., Nova Scotia, Alberta and Manitoba have proactively cancelled the immigration detention contracts with CBSA, but this should not just be on provinces. Refugees and migrants are not criminals.
Will the Liberals put an end to this odious immigration detention practice and stop putting migrants and asylum seekers in provincial jails?
Ms. Pam Damoff (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, Canada has a robust and fair refugee system and immigration detention is a measure of last resort. While we have made significant progress, there is more work to do.
We thank the Hon. Lloyd Axworthy and Hon. Allan Rock, as well as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International for their efforts on this issue. I look forward to continuing to work with them on this important issue.
