Rights and refugee groups call for more CBSA accountability after Syrian teen was detained for three weeks
Posted March 31, 2016 2:25 pm.
Last Updated March 31, 2016 3:54 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Immigrating to a new country can be tough for anyone, but for refugees, the task of ‘fitting in’ can be even harder.
Some human rights and refugee groups are calling on the Canadian Border Services Agency to put better systems of acceptance in place.
The CBSA has been known for its “in-your-face” style of questioning, but Josh Patterson with the BC Civil Liberties Association believes there can be more room for accountability.
A 16-year-old Syrian boy who spent three weeks in isolation in Toronto is now fighting the agency against a possible deportation. It’s a task Patterson says most refugees find difficult to even try.
“Refugees don’t necessarily want to make a complaint because they feel so vulnerable. So, CBSA is allowed to carry on with these activities without any accountability and [is] impervious to any kind of serious review,” argues Patterson.
He also says his group has seen evidence of racial profiling.
“CBSA teams [have been seen] roving around certain neighbourhoods in big cities and asking questions to people based on how they look.”
