There are people currently being held in detention in Canada because of security certificates. Here is an explanation what they are and why they violate human rights.
Imagine being arrested, then held indefinitely without bail, being charged with anything, or even you or your lawyer allowed to see the supposed evidence against you. This isn’t something that only happens in other countries known for human right violations. It happens right here in Canada.
The Canadian government can use something called a “secret trial security certificate” under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Through its use, any refugee or permanent resident in Canada (in other words, anyone who is not a Canadian citizen) can be declared inadmissible to Canada. The person can then be detained without bail or charges, not allowed access to the evidence (nor can the person’s lawyer), and possibly deported back to the person’s country of origin – a place where the person may be at risk for torture. There are currently five Muslim men being held in Canada on such “security certificates.” Each has served between three and six years.
The process of using secret trial security certificates has already been condemned by the United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Right Watch, various Canadian legal associations, and some Members of Parliament. This is an issue that should be of concern to those who care about human rights. It directly affects recent immigrants who do not yet have Canadian citizenship and may be fleeing persecution and torture in their homelands and can also be used to create prejudice and suspicious towards people of Middle Eastern and Arabic descent. The Canadian government should be setting an example of protecting refugees and upholding justice, not creating the northern version of Guantanamo Bay.
