E/CN.4/2001/83/Add.1 page 20 72. The Special Rapporteur has had an opportunity to appreciate the provisions made in Canadian legislation for the protection of human rights. In this respect, she has appreciated Canada’s good practices with regard to integrating migrants. She encourages Canada to persevere with the plans for resettlement and integration it is developing jointly with civil society and more specifically with NGOs. In her opinion, a specific example of good practice is the Metropolis Project, conceived in 1994 and launched in 1996 in the belief that for immigration and integration policies to succeed, they need the coordinated support of civil society. She attaches importance to the work of NGO networks in terms of assisting people who have to leave the country, through visits, advice and social work. 73. Canada is aware of the benefits the country derives from immigration. As this report was being finalized, the Canadian Parliament was considering the Immigration and Refugee Bill C-31. This Bill includes and regulates aspects which are of concern to the country at this time and more generally of concern to the international community, such as the question of trafficking in persons and illegal border crossings. 74. The Government has given priority to the question of immigration and, more specifically, to the questions of trafficking in persons and illegal entry. The Special Rapporteur supports the Government’s efforts to deal with the question of human trafficking and requests that it take account of the rights of individuals exposed to trafficking or who fall into the hands of gangs of traffickers, who generally make irresistible offers of a rosy future. The Special Rapporteur would like to emphasize the need to avoid criminalizing the victims of this type of action. 75. The Special Rapporteur wishes to thank the Minister of Immigration and Citizenship for the concern she has shown for an issue which nowadays affects a considerable number of people, namely, illegal trafficking in people and penalties for traffickers. The Special Rapporteur welcomes the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its additional protocols, which cover the two aspects mentioned above. In this respect, she wishes to point out that an effort is needed to make them effective, in view of the social demand for addressing this matter and, what is more important, for affording protection to the victims of these practices. This situation of uncertainty, depression, loss of freedom, lack of medical support, the shame of having to be taken in handcuffs to make a statement or to go to hospital, while having committed no crime but that of being deceived, is one that affects male and female migrants. It should be possible to offer expert help to these persons, for instance through the Canadian Council for Refugees or the Consultation Group, in order to provide assistance and psychological and medical advice to people who have to return to their countries of origin. 76. With regard to detention centres for illegal migrants, the Special Rapporteur had cases brought to her attention by migrants who had been detained and had remained in that situation for a long period of time. She was particularly concerned at the psychological conditions which the migrants suffered while waiting for the Commission to reach a decision on their case. 77. The Special Rapporteur believes that there is an active NGO movement and that more direct help could be provided. She also takes the view that, since there is a well organized movement outside, there should be coordination of prevention work, care and psychological