Open Letter To Minister Goodale


July 14, 2016

The Honorable Ralph Goodale
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness
269 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON
K1A 0P8
Canada

cc: The Honorable John McCallum, Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship

Dear Minister Goodale,

Re: Hunger strike by immigration detainees requesting a meeting with Minister Goodale

We are doctors, nurses, and healthcare providers working in Canada. It has come to our attention that over 50 men on immigration hold are once again engaging in a hunger strike. They are determined to remain without food until they are granted a meeting with you, Minister Goodale. They have been calling for an end to indefinite immigration detention and inhumane conditions and are now asking to bring their concerns to you in person.

This is the third time in as many years that men on indefinite immigration hold – people held in maximum security prisons without charges or trial – have gone on hunger strike. As healthcare providers it concerns us when individuals feel compelled to put their physical and mental health in jeopardy in order to win an audience with elected officials. They feel unheard and unacknowledged despite repeated calls to your office and to the offices of other Members of Parliament, multiple petitions and letters, and unsatisfactory meetings with representatives of the Canadian Border Services Agency.

We are concerned that a continuing hunger strike will put already vulnerable people at further risk of physical and mental harm. Three men have died while in immigration detention since you became Minister only nine months ago. At least fifteen have died while in the custody of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) since 2000.

As healthcare providers concerned with the wellbeing of the detainees we urge you to meet with the detainees promptly to hear their grievances and their demand for an end to indefinite immigration detention.

Sincerely,

Dr. Tarek Loubani, MD, CCFP (EM)
Emergency Department Physician and Assistant Professor
Western University Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry

Dr. Michelle Fraser, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Michaela Beder, MD, FRCPC
Psychiatrist and Lecturer, University of Toronto

Dr. Ritika Goel, MD, MPH, CCFP
Family Physician and Lecturer, University of Toronto

Dr. Abeer Majeed, MD, CCFP
Primary Care Physician

Dr. Adrienne Batke, MA, MD
Resident in Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Dr. Ahmed Bayoumi MD, MSc, FRCPC
University of Toronto

Dr. Amanda Murdoch, MD, M.Sc.
Family Medicine Resident, Queen’s University

Dr. Anne Biringer MD, CCFP, FCFP
Associate Professor of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto

Dr. Arash Nakhost, MD RFCPC
Psychiatrist

Dr. Arfeen Malick, MD, MSc
Psychiatry Resident, University of Toronto

Dr. Azad Mashari, MD, FRCPC
Anesthesiologist, University Health Network
Lecturer, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto

Dr. Bethany Scott, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Brendan Irish, MD
Family Medicine Resident, Queen’s University

Dr. Britt Lehmann-Bender, MD, CCFP
Family Physician and Hospitalist, Peterborough Regional Health Center

Dr. Cassandra Lin, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Charu Prasad, MD
Resident in Pediatrics

Dr. Claire Kenny-Scherber, MD, CCFP, BSc(Eng), IBCLC
Family Physician

Dr. Chloe Corbeil, MD
Family Medicine Resident

Dr. Colin Matheson, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. David Daien MD, CCFP
Family Physician and Lecturer, University of Toronto
Division Head Primary Care, Trillium

Dr. Donald E. Payne, MD, FRCP(C)
Psychiatrist

Dr. E. Kenneth Ranney, MD, FRCPC, FCAP, F.C.A.C.B
Pathologist and Clinical Biochemist, retired

Dr. Faiza Majeed, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Fatima Uddin, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. James Deutsch, MD, PhD, FRCP(C).
Dept. of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Dr. Jessi Dobyns, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Jessica Braidek, MD
Resident in Psychiatry

Dr. Jim Sugiyama MD

Dr. Jinghao Mary Yang, MD,
Resident in Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Dr. Jocelyn Howard, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. John Beamish MD, FCFP CCFP(PC)
Family Physician

Dr. Joshua D. Rosenblat, MD,
Resident of Psychiatry

Dr. June Lam, MD
Resident of Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Dr. Kate Hayman, MD, MPH, FRCPC
Emergency Physician, University Health Network

Dr. Katie Dorman, MD, MSc, CCFP
Family Physician and Assistant Professor, Adjunct, Queen’s University

Dr. Ketan Vegda, MD, FRCPC,
Psychiatrist, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Lecturer, University of Toronto

Dr. Krista Margeson, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Laura Chertkow, MD, MPH

Dr. Lucy Barker, MD
Resident of Psychiatry

Dr. Matthew Piamonte, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Melini Gupta, MD
Resident Physician

Dr. Michael Nartey, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Michelle Vilcini, MD CCFP
Assistant Professor, Queen’s University

Dr. Mimmi Thompson, MD,
Family Medicine Resident

Dr. Miriam Garfinkle
Retired Primary Care Physician

Dr. Najib Safieddine, MD, FRCSC
Assistant Professor, University of Toronto

Dr. Nanky Rai, MD, MPH

Dr. Nikki Bozinoff, MD, CCFP

Dr. Nisha Ravichandiran, MD, CCFP

Dr. Parul Agarwal, MD, FRCPC
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Toronto

Dr. Priyadarshani Raju, MD, FRCPC
Psychiatrist and Lecturer, University of Toronto

Dr. Rosana Salvaterra, MD, MSc, FRCPC
Public Health Physician

Dr. Susan Gleeson, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Samantha Green, MD, CCFP
Family Physician and Lecturer, University of Toronto

Dr. Shira Taylor, MD, CCFP
GP Psychotherapist

Dr. Skylar Van Osch MD, CCFP
Family Physician and Clinical Faculty, University of British Columbia and University of Victoria

Dr Sonal Patel, MD, CCFP
Family Physician

Dr. Supriya Singh, MD
Orthopedic Surgery Resident

Dr. Tiffany Chow, BMSc, MD,
Family Medicine Resident

Dr. Zahra Jaffer, MB ChB, CCFP
Family Physician and Assistant Professor, Queen’s University
Lecturer, University of Toronto

Jennifer Rosser, Peer Support Specialist, RSSW
St. Michael’s Hospital/Cota FOCUS Community Mental Health Team

Kathy Hardill, RNEC
Primary Health Care Nurse Practitioner

Lebei Pi, MD Candidate 2017
University of Toronto

Lori Webster RN

Marcella Jones, MPH, Medical Student
University of Toronto

Melanie Spence, BA, BScN, RN

Scott Weinstein, RN