P-HSJCC Webinar Series: Immigration Detention and Mental Health

Transcription

1 P-HSJCC Webinar Series: Immigration Detention and Mental Health April 10, 2018 Moderator: Tasha Rennie Network Engagement and Communications Officer, HSJCC Secretariat

2 HSJCC Webinars We will have a Q&A period at the end of our webinar. To ask a question, please type your question in the chat box. This webinar will be recorded. The recording and power-point presentation will be ed to you following the webinar. Please complete the brief evaluation survey following the webinar.

3 About the HSJCC Network HSJCC Network is comprised of: 40 Local HSJCCs 14 Regional HSJCCs Provincial HSJCC Each HSJCC is a voluntary collaboration between health and social service organizations, community mental health and addictions organizations and partners from the justice sector including crown attorneys, judges, police services and correctional service providers.

4 Presenter Michaela Beder, MD FRCPC, Psychiatrist, Lecturer, University of Toronto

5 CHALLENGING IMMIGRATION DETENTION Michaela Beder, BA, MD, FRCPC Psychiatrist, Toronto Provincial HJSCC Webinar, March 26, 2018 With thanks to Hanna Gros, Jordan Pachciarz Cohen and Rachel Kronick for their slides

6 My work Photo credit: bike citizens

7 Alpha

8 Outline Context: Immigration System What is Immigration Detention? Statistics Mental health in detention Child and Adult Advocacy Recommendations

9 CONTEXT

10 Trends in Canadian immigration More categories and numbers of temporary workers coming in to Canada More difficult for vulnerable groups to come to Canada: refugees, parents, grandparents, spouses Increased precarity of immigration status Especially under previous gov t, demonization of migrants: spouses, bogus refugee claimants, fair and generous immigration system, gold-plated healthcare

11 IMMIGRATION DETENTION

12 What are immigration holding centres? Slide credit: Rachel Kronick

13 Reasons for detention: Flight risk Unclear identity Danger to the public

14 Hurdles to release from detention Detention review hearings: 48hrs & 7 days after arrest, and every month until release Detainees may or may not be legally represented No limit to the length of detention

15 Detention Conditions IHCs: Medium security facilities Provincial jails: Maximum security facilities immigration detainees treated as all other inmates

16 Immigration Detention in ON Jails: diffusion of responsibility Toronto Star, May 28, 2016

17 Detention Statistics: Adults Fiscal Year Number of detainees Average length of detention Admissions to non-ihc (provincial jails) Detainees held in Ontario , days 2,047 (32.6%) 3,251 (52.0%) , days 2,909 (39.9%) 3,660 (55.5%) , days 2,889 (39.3%) 3,962 (58.5%) , days 3,115 (36.7%) 4,675 (60.5%) , days 3,487 (36.3%) 5,519 (63.2%) 678 Long-term detainees (held for 90+ days) Majority of long-term detainees in non-ihc facilities in Ontario are held at Central East Correctional Centre (Lindsay ON)

18 Detention Statistics: Children Fiscal Year Accompanied Minors Unaccompanied Minors Total Average length of detention Includes foreign nationals, permanent residents, and Canadian citizens Includes children who are detained, and those housed in detention to accompany their detained parents Longest detention: 803 days Vast majority detained as flight risk

19 MENTAL HEALTH IN DETENTION

20 Clinical research: Impact of immigration detention on mental health Slide credit: Rachel Kronick

21 Clinical research: Impact of immigration detention on mental health - Canadian study - Brief detention (mean 31 days) - Does not have confounding factors of previous prospective studies Detention contributes significantly to post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety symptoms over and above the impact of trauma exposure and demographic variables. Slide credit: Rachel Kronick

22 Clinical research: Impact of immigration detention on mental health Detained Non-Detained Post-Traumatic Stress 32% 18% Depression 78% 52% Anxiety 63% 47% Slide credit: Rachel Kronick

23 Clinical research: Child detention Qualitative, ethnographic investigation: What are the lived experiences of children and parents? What are the emotional and behavioural responses of children in detention? How can we understand the practises and functioning of the IHC itself? Rachel Kronick, Cécile Rousseau and Janet Cleveland, Asylum-Seeking Children s Experiences of Detention in Canada: A Qualitative Study (2015) 85:3 American Journal of Orthopsychiatry 287

24 Children s responses: Symptoms withdrawal food refusal anxiety (phobias, separation anxiety) sleep difficulties, including nightmares irritability and behavioral problems selective mutism depressed mood, anhedonia traumatic play or reenactments Slide credit: Rachel Kronick

25 Family separations Slide credit: Rachel Kronick

26 Lived Experiences: Suicide Lucia Vega Jimenez, 42

27 Lived Experiences: Death Abdurahman Ibrahim Hassan, 39

28 Lived Experiences: 11 years detained

29 16 people have died since 2000 in immigration detention

30 ADVOCACY

31 Community Advocacy

32 Legal-Health Advocacy

33 Provincial advocacy: OHRC

34 On Oct 4, 2016, a statement was released across Canada, signed by 46 medical, legal and human rights organizations, alongside 342 health and legal professionals endchildimmigrationdetention.wordpress.com

35 Government Response

36 Government Response

37 Solidarity with detainees

38 And to the streets!

39 RECOMMENDATIONS

40 Recommendations Detention should only be used as a last resort (Alternatives to Detention) End immigration detention in provincial jails Individuals with mental health conditions or psychosocial disabilities, suicidal ideation, serious medical issues, and persons who do not pose a danger to the public, should not be detained, and especially not in provincial jails. Provincial jails should ensure access to programs and supports Government should set legislative limits to the length of immigration detention (presumptive period)

41 Resources stoptransferstojails.wordpres s.com endchildimmigrationdetention.wordpress.com ihrp.law.utoronto.ca endimmigrationdetention.com

42 Thank you!

43 FOR PSYCHIATRISTS

44 Writing Refugee Reports Psychiatrists, family physicians, psychologists, counsellors Insufficient availability of clinicians Short time-lines Difficult to access detained clients Limited resources in jails Training resource: ask me!

45 In Advance of the Assessment Ask for: Reason for referral Diagnosis of a mental illness? Is the client vulnerable and do they need a designated representative? Difficulties in testifying? Need for an interpreter Any available information, including a BOC, psych records Lawyer s perception of the client What kind of hearing is the report for? Get a signed ROI Explain parameters, ex a one time assessment

46 Assessment locations office: lawyer s or clinician s immigration detention Get approved in advance Ask for hours you can meet/shift change Jail Get approved in advance Call the day of to ensure client is not on lockdown videoconference

47 Thank you for listening! For more information about the Provincial HSJCC and to join the mailing list, visit: