Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Solidarity action with migrant strikers!

On Tuesday October 8th, join together with family members, supporters and communities across Ontario to speak out against prison conditions and indefinite detention in support of nearly 200 immigration detainees who have been on strike since September 17.

Actions are being planned in eight cities across Ontario. We plan to deliver petitions to MPP offices across the province in support of strikers demands. In Ottawa, we are also planning a delegation to Minister Madeleline Meilleur at 10:00am to show our support for migrants on hunger strike.

Raids on precarious migrant workers in Vancouver were filmed earlier this year for television entertainment. Why is the largest jailed migrant strike in recent history not being screened? This historic moment requires our attention.
OTTAWA: Minister Madeleine Meilleur - 237 Montreal Road, Ottawa at 10:00

Family members and friends of detainees, please get in touch:
migrantstrike@gmail.com

191 detainees on immigration hold in the maximum security prison in Lindsay have been on strike since Tuesday, September 17. These migrants are kept locked in cages for 18-22 hours a day, some of them for up to 7 years because Canada cannot deport them to home countries that will not take them back. In contravention of the United Nations High Commission on Human Rights, Canada refuses to release them. They are being punished for being arbitrarily deemed a flight risk, and for the crime of being born elsewhere.

The strike began after the detainees were moved to Lindsay jail from prisons across Ontario where they face lockdowns, sub-standard food, limited access to telephones, and denial of family and legal visits. Despite this crackdown, many of them have been on hunger strike for 11 days now. At least six detainees have been hospitalized or received medical treatment, and at least one is on dry hunger strike. The detainees are now also collectively boycotting their detention review hearings, which have become a charade with no hope for release. This resistance is lifting the lid on what is arbitrary and indefinite detention.

TAKE ACTION

Sign the petition: https://www.change.org/en-CA/petitions/meet-the-demands-of-striking-immigrant-detainees

Call, Email, Tweet at Minister Madeleine Meilleur, Provincial Minister for Jails, Minister Steven Blaney, Minister responsible for Immigration Enforcement, and jail and immigration enforcement officers

http://endimmigrationdetention.wordpress.com/take-action/

No detentions! No deportations!
http://endimmigrationdetention.wordpress.com/
migrantstrike@gmail.com