Rights groups urge Canada to end ‘abusive’ immigration detention

Montreal, Canada – The indefinite nature of Canada’s immigration detention system is causing psychological harm for thousands of people detained every year, including refugee claimants, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said in a new report on Thursday.

The report, titled “Immigration Detention in Canada and its Impact on Mental Health”, said immigration detainees are handcuffed, shackled and subjected to solitary confinement, among other harsh conditions.
“Canada prides itself on welcoming refugees and newcomers with open arms, even though it’s one of the few countries in the global north where people seeking safety risk being locked up indefinitely,” Samer Muscati, associate disability rights director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement accompanying the report.
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