Red Cross and Alternatives

: And we need to make some changes there in order to accommodate alternatives." In a confidential inspection report made public in January, the Red Cross said Canada should jail child immigrants only as a "last resort" and must find alternatives to detention for such vulnerable newcomers, according to The Waterloo Record. The border services agency holds people who are considered a flight risk or a danger to the public and those whose identities cannot be confirmed. Goodale told a Senate committee on Monday his department is looking at alternatives to locking away children, but he added the issue is complex and requires study. "There are problems in the system that go beyond simply changing procedures," Goodale said. "Physical capacity is an issue. The Red Cross says the border agency detained 10,088 immigrants — almost one-fifth of them refugee claimants — in 2013-14 in a variety of facilities, including federal holding centres and provincial and municipal jails. However, the number of young detainees was almost certainly higher because the figures did not include those who were not formally part of a detention order, but nonetheless found themselves behind bars with a parent or guardian. Among these were at least 197 minors, held an average of about 10 days each. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.