SoVote

Mr. Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe (Lac-Saint-Jean, BQ)

Feb/7/23 2:16:22 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, as we speak, rescue workers are still searching for survivors of yesterday's powerful earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The death toll is now over 7,000 and climbing. We are witnessing a race against time. It is a chilling story, a true catastrophe. The earthquake comes on top of a very serious humanitarian situation. Syria has been ravaged by a civil war since 2011, and the Bloc Québécois wants to reiterate its solidarity with the Turkish and Syrian people. We also want to point out the importance of investing in a humanitarian emergency division at the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, to enable the federal government to act quickly in the event of a crisis, without having to stop processing regular cases. We want and need to be part of the solution, for the sake of humanitarianism, security and refugee protection, but most importantly, because lives depend on it.

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Context: House Hansard - 155 - Feb/7/23

Ms. Pam Damoff (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety, Lib.)

Feb/7/23 6:28:28 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking the member for Vancouver East for her ongoing advocacy on this issue. Canada has a robust and fair refugee system. Immigration detention is a measure of last resort, and I am committed to working with the minister, CBSA, stakeholders across the country and the hon. member to expand alternatives to detention. Over the past year, I had numerous discussions with the hon. Lloyd Axworthy and the hon. Allan Rock and Hanna Gros from Human Rights Watch. Their advocacy and advice on immigration detention has been invaluable, and I know this is an issue the minister is seized with. We made significant progress in implementing alternatives to detention and in reducing our use of detention, but we know there is more work to do. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, individuals can only be detained when grounds for detention exist and after all alternatives to detention have been considered. While detention always defaults to an immigration holding centre, in regions where there is no centre the CBSA relies on the use of provincial correctional facilities to house high-risk detainees. I visited the immigration detention in Milton several years ago and spoke to several of those who were being held there. It is one of the reasons I am committed to working with those who want to see change in the system. I also met with Matthew House staff. They offer an outstanding program to support those facing deportation and house them in community. Detention in provincial correctional facilities is only used sparingly. As of November 17, 2022, 138 immigration detainees were housed in a provincial correctional facility, 189 were housed in an immigration holding centre and 11,233 were enrolled in an alternative to detention. The government is committed to further decreasing the use of provincial correctional facilities. That is why we invested in new and upgraded immigration holding centres, including one in Surrey in 2020 and one in Montreal in 2022. With these investments, we have been able to reduce our reliance on provincial correctional facilities and provide better services to those being detained. The government is committed to treating all detainees in a dignified and humane way. One important condition in all our agreements with provinces is that they authorize the Canadian Red Cross to visit correctional facilities. This is to monitor and report on the conditions of detention and treatment of detainees to ensure they are treated fairly according to domestic legislation and international obligations. As the member opposite is aware, the Red Cross' findings and the CBSA action plans are available on the CBSA website. The CBSA continues to work to create a better and fairer immigration detention system, one that treats all persons with compassion and dignity while upholding public safety and the integrity of our immigration system. The government is committed to protecting the safety of Canadians while upholding the rights of detainees.

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Context: House Hansard - 155 - Feb/7/23

Ms. Pam Damoff

Feb/7/23 6:32:57 p.m.
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Mr. Speaker, I remain committed to listening to the voices of stakeholders calling for reform. Under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, individuals can only be detained when grounds for detention exist and after all alternatives to detention have been considered. I commit to the member opposite I will continue to advocate within government and in this place to call for an expansion of the eligibility for alternatives to detention and to invest in programs that support the mental health of all migrants and refugee claimants. While we have made improvements, we also recognize there is more work to do. Our government remains committed to ensuring all detainees are treated in a consistent, dignified and humane way that is in line with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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