Racial Profiling Issue Raised in the House of Commons
July 13, 2005
Joe Comartin Member of Parliament
House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Dear Mr. Comartin,
The Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) would like to extend to you its appreciation for keeping our concerns on your agenda.
Together with other community organizations, OCASI has publicly raised concerns regarding the discriminatory treatment of racialized Canadian residents by United States security officials at the Canada-US border.
As you noted in your question to the House of Commons on February 28 2003, incidents of racial profiling continue to occur at our border. In this context, Canadians born overseas cannot feel reassured that their government will protect them from being racially profiled by US security measures.
In the current environment of fear where blame is directed towards immigrants and refugees, your question in the House plays an important role in retaining this issue in the public discourse.
OCASI thanks you for your efforts to work towards equity and justice for immigrant and refugee communities.
Yours truly,
Debbie Douglas
Executive Director
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Excerpt from Hansard, February 28 2003: Mr. Joe Comartin (Windsor—St. Clair, NDP):
"Mr. Speaker, we continue to hear of numerous incidents of racial profiling at our borders and airports. Last year the Minister of Foreign Affairs told Canadians that he had assurances from Colin Powell and the U.S. attorney general that the practice of systemic racial profiling would end. Well, it has not. There was a recent incident at the Toronto airport where both a customs officer and his supervisor told a Canadian citizen that dual citizens of specific countries had to be registered, that it was the law, and that he had to comply. I ask the government, will it impose and order a travel advisory..."
Hon. Bill Graham (Minister of Foreign Affairs, Lib.):
"Mr. Speaker, I certainly would hesitate to order a travel advisory based on a single very unfortunate incident. These are matters which we have constantly brought to the attention of the American authorities. I have been assured by the ambassador and by Secretary Powell himself that profiling of the nature that is described in the hon. member's question is not being practised by the United States authorities, but that there are other circumstances which they may choose to consider when making a decision whether to admit someone into the United States. This matter can be raised with them, but we will obviously work with the United States to remove this type of..."