Friday, November 16, 2012

Mental Health of Refugees at Risk with New Detention Laws


Refugees hope to arrive in Canada for a new chance at life and an escape from the troubles that face them back home. However, some of Canada’s new immigration policies can add to a refugee’s already troubled life. In June of 2012 the Canadian government passed Bill C-31. “The new law made amendments to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, including allowing Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney to designate groups of refugees who have come to Canada as "irregular arrivals." (CBC.ca) This bill also allows these people to be separated from their families and detained until they are cleared.
One of the biggest issues with this bill is its effect on young children. The bill states “Children aged 16 to 18 would be incarcerated as if they were adults, and children under 16 will either be taken away from their parents and put in foster care or kept with their mothers and separated from their fathers.” (CBC.ca) These kinds of actions can have a devastating effect on a child’s mental health. With the number of immigrants and refugees coming into Canada every year the length of time a family can be detained and separated from each other will continue to grow.
Canada is not the first country to implement a bill like this. “Australia has had rules similar to the ones in Canada since 1992.” (Thestar.com) Studies in Australia have shown “high levels of self-harm among detainees and a suicide rate 10 times higher than in the country’s general population.” (Thestar.com) With studies and results from Australia it would seem that this bill should not be allowed to continue in Canada. The facts about how this bill can damage the lives of refugees and immigrants are another indicator that Canada is not as fair to its immigrants as it presents itself to the world. 

-John


References:

CBC News (July 2012). Refugees face metal health risk from new law. Retrieved from.
 http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/story/2012/07/09/pol-cmaj-refugee-health.html

TheStar.com (July 2012). Refugees suffer metal health problems under new Canadian detention        rules. Retrieved from: http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/1223572--refugees-suffer-mental-health-problems-under-new-canadian-detention-rules

3 comments:

  1. Good post! I definitely think this is a controversial issue, as it seems like Canada is treating refugees like criminals. Being "detained" and "incarcerated" gives the impression that these people have done something wrong, and should not be trusted. I also think that there are general human rights taken away when you're being detained for no specific reason, other than the fact that you're foreign. If one is a refugee, they are fleeing their country most times out of fear. Many have post traumatic stress disorder, depression, and other mental health issues that need to be treated, and detaining them strips them of their healthcare needs.

    Shannon

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    1. That's a great point, Shannon. I agree with you when you say that this practice of detaining refugees lends to the idea that some Canadians already have that these people have done something wrong. In reality, they are the victims and really need a place to welcome them and address their struggles, not create new problems for them to deal with. Refugees are all fleeing from something, whether it is a natural disaster, war, or some from of persecution. Regardless of the reason they come to Canada for shelter, they are asking for help.

      Seperating refugees from their families is one of the worst decisions Canada could make in regards to policies concerning the arrival of refugees. Their families are sometimes the only connection they have to their previous life, and if that one last link to everything familiar is snatched away, I can see how it could easily lead to these mental health concerns.

      Can you imagine what it would be like to overcome countless obstacles just to get to a supposedly safe place, and then have all that you have left in the world, the people you love, taken away from you? I cannot imagine this, and I beieve they should be treated with more compassion.

      -Selina

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  2. To take a child under 16 away from their family especially in a new country is really upsetting to hear. I thought Canada was great place for immigrants, considering my grandmother is an immigrant and spent her whole life hear after she left from Italy. I can only imagine being taken away from your loved ones and being alone.

    - Alyssa

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