Thank you, Vartan.
Good afternoon.
As an additional focus, the safe third country agreement merits consideration. The systems protecting the rights of migrants in the United States have been deteriorating. This stretches back to the start before the current administration, a longevity that is important to note.
In fiscal year 2014, 77%, or 44,228 individuals, were detained while seeking asylum, and 73% of those were held in privately run prisons. Many of these facilities have been criticized for their human rights violations, including inadequate medical attention and sexual abuse.
Article 31(1) of the refugee convention prohibits this widespread detention of asylum seekers and penalization based on irregular entry or presence. Similarly, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's Judge Pregerson wrote:
...the deportation process can begin and end with a CBP officer untrained in the law. ...There is no hearing, no neutral decision-maker, no evidentiary findings, and no opportunity for administrative or judicial review. This lack of procedural safeguards in expedited removal proceedings creates a substantial risk that noncitizens subjected to expedited removal will suffer an erroneous removal.
Recent actions by President Trump and his Attorney General have exacerbated these practices of large-scale detention, expedited removal without concern to due process, and prosecution of unauthorized entry, which is a recognized means for seeking asylum under article 31 of the refugee convention.
Executive orders have further criminalized migrant behaviour and sweeping statements have tried to rule out the possibility of protection for large groups of those forced to leave their countries of origin.
Attorney General Sessions disregarded international refugee law and consensus among many states, Canada included, in his interpretation of persecution committed by non-state actors. These recognized protections have been critical for vulnerable groups, especially women, who classically suffer human rights abuses at the hands of non-state actors. Tightening border security has not proved to decrease irregular border crossings. Instead, it tends to interrupt circular migration and increase criminalization.
Immigration in the 21st century presents unprecedented challenges. Successful policy will require concerted efforts by governments in dealing with these crises and gathering information, but also the courage of policy-makers to chart their own course when the moment demands it.
Thank you.