Narratives of Harm and the case for detention abolition

Abstract

This essay aims to foreground the perspectives and lived experiences of asylum-seekers, refugees and other migrants in the growing calls to abolish immigration detention. While focused on a singular case study - the Tamil maritime arrivals to Canada in 2009 and 2010, our findings shed light on the broader harms of immigration detention. We begin by briefly describing the breadth and scope of immi-gration detention and the legal framework that governs detention in Canada. The heart of the essay follows with a sampling of the narratives drawn from the case study - all of which highlight the incalculable harms produced by the carceral state. The essay concludes by underscoring the imperative for detention abolition as both an aspirational and practical goal.