Sunday, August 17, 2014

Ontario "ICE"- Wynne Government and CBSA Stage Mass Immigration Raids

Anger grows at Ontario involvement in Immigration Raids

by NOII

Toronto - Migrant justice group No One Is Illegal - Toronto is organizing an emergency rally and launching a petition against the Kathleen Wynne government after Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Transportation racially profiled and forcefully ID'd immigrants, colluding with Canada Borders Services Agency (CBSA) in the Keele-Finch area last week. 

CBSA has confirmed that at least 21 people were detained under the excuse of "vehicle safety checks", and now face separation from their families, endless detentions and deportation.

PETITION: http://chn.ge/1lbFvON (includes quotes from detainees)


WHAT: "Wynne, don't do Harper's dirty work!" emergency rally
WHEN: 12pm, Monday, August 18th, 2014
WHERE: Ontario Ministry of Community Safety & Correctional Services (responsible for OPP)
WHO: Friends, family members and supporters of detained immigrants, and community organizations

Though some reports suggest more than 50 people, CBSA has confirmed that at least 21 people were arrested on their way to work in the GTA this week. The undocumented workers were ambushed by armed officers in a series of surprise early morning sweeps.

Early in the morning on August 14th, Ontario Provincial Police and Ministry of Transportation officers along with immigration enforcement officers racially profiled and pulled over undocumented day-laborers on their way to work under the guise of a traffic stop. 
 
All the passengers in the car were coerced into giving up their ID's and many are now being detained at the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre at 385 Rexdale. The raids occurred in the Jane-Wilson, Keele-Wilson and Weston-401 areas.

Most of the detained were asked to sign documents waiving their rights which were not fully translated. As a result, at least one person faces deportation on Tuesday morning. The rest are now caught in Canada's system of indefinite detention which the United Nations found to be in violation of international laws and conventions in a legal opinion released last month. 
 
The UN found that Canada's immigration detention review system is arbitrary, unfair, and lacks a clear limit on the length of detention, leading some people to be detained for over 10 years without charge. 
 
Since the current federal government came to power, over 85,000 migrants have been detained without charge or trial.
 
 
 
No One Is Illegal - Toronto
Media Advisory
August 17, 2014

Media Contact: 
Syed Hussan, 416 453 3632

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