Detainees called Goodale’s office, but were denied access to the Minister. His receptionist insisted that he and his staff are unable to speak to members of the public, and refused to provide further assistance in facilitating a meeting between Goodale and the striking detainees. While Minister Goodale’s office was brushing detainees offices, his office issued a media statement insisting that their approach to immigration detention was “world-class, including methods of enforcement, with effective transparency and accountability”. The Minister also insisted that immigration detention was a ‘last resort, after all other alternatives are explored’.

>>> Hear immigration detainee Toby Clark explain why they started the Hunger Strike.

On July 12th, hundreds of us called and tweeted Minister Goodale and we released a statement exposing Goodale’s lies while more people joined the hunger strike. We asked, at least three people have died in immigration detention since the Liberals took power, the Minister wants to believe that there was no other option but to let them die? How is not talking to the people directly affected transparent and accountable?

>>> Read our update here.

On July 13th, immigration detainees were locked up for 22 hours, from 6pm the night before in an obvious attempt to break morale and silence detainees. Despite this our spokespeople did 15 CBC interviews across the country and media reports continue to appear. Phone calls continue to flood Minister Goodale’s offices.

>>>> Hear immigration detainee Patrick explain the experience of the lock-down and how migrants continue to strike.

On July 14th, Colonialism No More – Solidarity Camp Regina, 88 day strong and ongoing encampment at Indigenous and North Affairs Canada (INAC) offices in Saskatchewan offered support for ‪#‎MigrantStrike‬ by organizing a picket at Minister Ralph Goodale’s office. We are greatly moved by this show of solidarity and uniting of struggles. See a picture here. On the same day, 65 health professionals wrote a letter to Minister Goodale urging him to meet immigration detainees.

>>>> See a self-portrait and poem by R.R who is on immigration detention where he explains his feeling of loss and stuck in limbo.

On July 15th,  we learned that the Ontario Special Investigations Unit (SIU), after a year of investigations, decided not to charge police officers in Abdurahman Ibrahim Hassan’s death. The same day the Coroner’s office announced a Coroner’s Inquest into his death.
It came as no surprise to any of us that the SIU found police not-guilty in the case of another Black Somali refugee’s death. The SIU consists of former cops investigating current cops and letting them free time and again for murder. At the same time we insisted that if Abdurrahman was not in detention, he would be alive.

>>>> While we are still figuring out how to share the very painful SIU press release with you, we spend Friday remembering the 15 people who have died in detention, 3 in just the last five months. See their names here.

On July 16 and 17, Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) staff have been meeting with detainees, offering to separate and expedite some files for release. Detainees are refusing this divide and rule strategy. CBSA has said that changes are coming in the Fall and detainees are demanding changes in writing from Minister Goodale.

CBSA staff has also tried to separate some strike organizer and try to transfer them to other prisons, but thus far all of them have refused.

>>>> #MigrantStrike continues. Here is some selected mainstream media coverage on the strike.