Letter: Canada doubles down on human rights violations with STCA appeal

After federal court ruling that the Safe Third Country agreement (STCA) violated the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the government decided to appeal the decision and delay any action on STCA for years potentially. This despite repeated calls from refugees advocates such as Amnesty on the shameful detention conditions that refugees face as a result of STCA. Even former prominent Liberal officials Allan Rock and Lloyd Axworthy have stated Canada is complicit in sending refugees to be abused. Most importantly, we have heard the heartbreaking pleas from refugees such as 20-year old Nedira Mustefa from Ethiopia who was detained in solitary confinement and in general prison population for weeks without explanation or assistance. Yet, we have inexplicably chosen to continue to violate human rights.

This is a moment we should be ashamed as Canadians and need to demand better.