The Parti communiste du Québec (section of the Communist Party of Canada) affirms its unflinching support for the immigrant detainees inside the Laval Detention Center, whose safety is jeopardized by both the current COVID-19 pandemic and the generally brutal and unjust immigration detention system.
It is unconscionable that public health directives are not equally applied to all people, as a consequence of their immigration status. To decide who should and should not be protected during a global crisis like this pandemic – an event that will undoubtedly shape society for decades to come – betrays a tremendous level of chauvinism. The response of all levels of government shall certainly be remembered.
It goes without saying that in a society such as ours – where the pursuit of profit trumps the needs of the many, where borders are enforced with ever-increasing violence against people while free trade deals ensure the safe passage of commodities in the interests of capital, where racism and xenophobia buttress the unjust claims to this land by historic elites – we should never expect the effects of a pandemic to be spread equitably across the social sphere. The rich, though not totally insulated, hope to wait out the worst of the crisis while the homeless, prisoners, those in overcrowded housing, health care workers and others are sacrificed as a result of circumstances that could certainly be improved.
It is the duty of all progressive, working class and oppressed communities to stand together and show support for our comrades in the struggle, wherever they may be.
We call on the federal government to release all immigrant detainees and to halt deportations and immigration law enforcement indefinitely. All human beings, regard-less of immigration status, deserve the highest quality healthcare and safety during this time. The government of Canada needs to follow its own rules, especially regarding people under its “care.”
Parti communiste du Québec
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