On July 27, about 50 people gathered at the North Branch Memorial Library for a panel discussion on migrant justice. The event was part of a national day of action against Jason Kenney, the federal minister of immigration. Panelists criticized Kenney for a variety of reasons, including immigration policy changes that have occurred under his authority, and statements he has made that activists say overstep his role as minister.
“Jason Kenney has been dubbed the Minister of “Censorship and Deportation” because of his record as one of the most repressive immigration ministers,” explained David Parker who spoke on behalf of No One is Illegal – Halifax,. “There is a growing grassroots movement across the country rising out of schools, neighbourhoods, and workplaces to reject Kenney and his oppressive and racist policies.”
According to NOII-Halifax, under Jason Kenney, 13,000 people were deported last year or approximately 75 per day, and 56 per cent fewer asylum claims were accepted. Kenney was also behind Bill C-11, which the Canadian Council for Refugees has criticized for establishing a two-tiered refugee claim system based on a refugee claimant's country of origin, and removed references to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender rights from the Canadian citizenship guide.
Panellist Roger Davies came to Canada when he was 23 to resist the draft for the American war on Vietnam. He spoke to Kenney’s assertion that refugee claims by war resisters from the US are illegitimate, despite two orders passed in the House of Commons supporting the rights of war resisters to stay in Canada.
“[When I came to Canada] a door was open. It was a door that was really welcoming at times. It was a door that made it somewhat easy for many of us to come here, and 50 or 60 000 did come. Since those days that door has been slammed shut,” said Davies.
Judy Haiven, who spoke to Kenney’s pro-Isreal agenda, discussed how Kenney’s policies are based in racist assumptions that attempt to polarize people as good or bad.
“Kenney and his cabinet cronies are big boosters of the idea of good guys and bad guys – people in white hats and people in black hats. Christians, Jews, people of “the Book” who are white and European and western-oriented, they represent the good,” said Haiven. “And frankly [according to Kenney] Arabs and Muslims represent the bad.”
Amr Nassrat, an Egyptian Muslim man who has been living in Canada since 2004, says he is one of the black hats.
“I never realized the list of [Kenney’s] injustices was this long,” he said. “It gives me hope in Canada to see you all here.”
“There are many Kenney’s in the immigration system,” says Nassrat, who explains that he has been repeatedly mistreated within the immigration system. “I came here today to tell people there is injustice and to see if there is something I can do for my self and others.”
Currently, there are between 200 000 and 500 000 people living without status in Canada.
