National Day of Action - Petitions with 10,000 signatures delivered to Immigration Enforcement

February 28, 2014

National Day of Action with rallies in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver and London

Petitions with 10,000 signatures to be delivered to Immigration Enforcement calling for civilian oversight and end to indefinite detention

Rallies and actions are being held in Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal and London to mark the two month anniversary of Lucia Vega Jimenez's suicide in Vancouver immigration enforcement custody, and the five month anniversary of the historic immigration detainee strike against indefinite detention in a maximum security prison in Lindsay, Ontario. Petitions calling for civilian oversight of CBSA, a 90-day limit on detention pending deportation, an end to maximum security incarceration and overhaul of detention review processes will be delivered to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) GTA Headquarters at 6900 Airport Road at 2:45pm.

WHAT: Immigrant and refugee advocates deliver 10,000 petitions to Immigration Enforcement
WHEN: 2:45pm on February 28, 2014, two month anniversary of Lucia Vega Jimenez's suicide
WHERE: Greater Toronto Enforcement Centre, 6900 Airport Road

Lucia Vega Jimenez hung herself in a bathroom stall while in immigration enforcement custody at Vancouver International Airport. Her body hung for three-quarters of an hour, before being discovered by private security firm Genesis Security which is contracted out by CBSA. Her death wasn't disclosed for over a month by CBSA, and her family was forced to sign an agreement in order to get access to her body. A coroner's inquest was announced on Feb 25th, but advocates are calling for civilian oversight to ensure such deaths do not take place in the future.

Migrants in Lindsay, ON went on strike on September 17, 2013. Canada is the only 'western' country in the world without a limit on detention pending deportation. As a result, some detainees have been in jail for nearly 10 years. Migrant detainees have been on hunger strike (some detainees for nearly 60 days), refused to attend their detention hearings, and boycotted activities at the prison in support of their demands. Naomi Klein, John Greyson, Council of Canadians, Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Law Union of Ontario, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, Public Services Alliance of Canada - Ontario, Shit Harper Did, and over 70 other leading labour, civil society, grassroots groups and individuals representing over a million people have endorsed their demands.
See http://endimmigrationdetention.com/endorsers/


For more information contact:
Mina Ramos
Phone: 519-328-8835

Tings Chak
Phone: 416-276-2174

Website: www.endimmigrationdetention.com