PRESS RELEASE: Don’t collaborate with Trump on Refugees
PRESS RELEASE: Don’t collaborate with Trump on Refugees
For Immediate Release
OTTAWA (June 1 2018) – The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL) reacted today to the announcement by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Minister Ahmed Hussen that the federal government will seek to expand the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States:
“In the same week that Canadians are learning about the shocking scale and scope of the Trump administration’s policy of separating refugee toddlers from their mothers when they arrive at US borders seeking safety, Minister Hussen has announced plans to extend and expand cooperation with the Trump administration on refugees” said Lobat Sadrehashemi, President of CARL.
The separation of kids and their parents is one of many anti-refugee moves by the Trump administration. The President himself has demonized migrants in his public discourse; and immigration authorities, on the President’s direction, are jailing refugees in private prisons at unprecedented rates; criminalizing them in direct violation of the Refugee Convention; and refusing to allow claims for asylum at the Southern border.
“Instead of taking leadership – like we did in response to the Syrian refugee crisis – our government is working to deepen cooperation with the Trump administration,” said Maureen Silcoff, Co-Chair of CARL’s litigation committee.
The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers and many other civil society groups have urged the federal government to end its cooperation with the Trump administration on refugees and to suspend the Safe Third Country Agreement. Instead they are seeking to do the opposite.
“It is shocking to hear that Trudeau’s government is pushing for more cooperation with Trump, on any issue. That he’s pushing for cooperation on refugees – given what we’re learning about the treatment of refugees under Trump – is just unthinkable” said Aris Daghighian, a member of CARL’s National Executive.
For comment:
Maureen Silcoff: msilcoff@silcoffshacter.com
Aris Daghighian: arisd@gands.com