“DON’T ASK DON’T TELL” ON SKYTRAINS

No One is Illegal-Vancouver is completely opposed to the ability of Skytrain Police officers to enforce immigration laws anywhere in the public transit system and all types of racial profiling by the GVTA. We condemn police enforced fare inspections, physical and verbal abuse by transit authorities, and demands to disclose citizenship and immigrant status.

No One is Illegal has received reports regarding the detention of immigrants, refugees, and non-status by Skytrain police demanding them to produce identification and disclose their status. The act of reporting non-status individuals by non-immigration institutions, such as transit authorities, serves to further criminalize and increase the vulnerability of our communities in the context of the never-ending “War on Terrorism”. Therefore we are calling for and organizing towards a “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy to be put into effect within the entire transit system of the B.C. lower mainland and the dismantling of the racist Skytrain police force.

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policies as related to immigration status have been advocated for and implemented in cities across Canada and the US. The two important components of such a policy implemented by transit authorities would prohibit the ability of the GVTA officials and police force to inquire about any individual’s immigration status or to demand identification documents relating to immigration status and also prohibit them from disclosing any immigration status information to government authorities.

Being non-status in Canada means being detainable and deportable at any time by a repressive immigration system. It also means an extremely limited ability to access social services, health care, proper housing and employment. It is clear that lack of citizenship in this country certainly means lack of entitlement to even the most basic rights. For these reasons, migrants and refugees have been demanding regularization for all non-status peoples in Canada for years.