E/CN.4/2001/83/Add.1 page 2 Introduction 1. At the invitation of the Government of Canada, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants visited Canada from 17 to 30 September 2000. The Government’s invitation was extended pursuant to a request made in a letter addressed to all Governments informing them of the Special Rapporteur’s appointment and the provisions of Commission on Human Rights resolution 1999/44, which established the mandate, requested Governments to cooperate with the Special Rapporteur and encouraged them to consider inviting her to visit their countries. The Canadian Government’s invitation was the first to be received by the Special Rapporteur, who, in view of the large number of migrants admitted by Canada, decided to accept it. 2. The Special Rapporteur takes this opportunity to thank the Government of Canada for inviting her to visit the country and for the valuable assistance and cooperation she received, which greatly facilitated her work. Before the mission, the Special Rapporteur and her support staff contacted the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations Office at Geneva, which played an important part in the work of planning and facilitating the visit. During her stay in Canada, the authorities acceded to all her requests for meetings. She and her staff enjoyed full freedom of movement and had free access to private individuals and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). She notes with gratitude that she was able to undertake her visit in a transparent and open atmosphere. She also wishes to express her sincere thanks for the assistance extended by the numerous NGOs and private individuals whom she had an opportunity to interview during her stay in Canada. And she is grateful for the logistical support of the Ottawa office of UNHCR. 3. This report is not and cannot be a substitute for official investigations. Its scope is limited to the mandate entrusted to the Special Rapporteur and focuses on the current situation. Unravelling the complexity of the immigration situation prevailing today in Canada would require a debate extending beyond the scope and aims of the present report. 4. The conclusions and observations contained in this report are based on the information gathered during the mission and on the relevant international instruments. In this respect, the Special Rapporteur has paid particular attention to the following questions: organization of migration in Canada; measures adopted by the Government to guarantee the human rights of migrants; methods and means used to control so-called illegal migration; reliability of the investigations carried out by the authorities into the incidents considered; and measures adopted to prosecute persons responsible for violations of the human rights of migrants. I. PROGRAMME OF THE VISIT 5. The Special Rapporteur had meetings with representatives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Immigration and Refugee Board, at the federal and regional levels, and with representatives of the provincial governments. She also had meetings with representatives of NGOs in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. She met with, inter alia, NGOs dealing with the situation of migrants from various regions of Asia, Latin America and Africa, and with female domestic workers (known as live-in caregivers) and refugee claimants. In all cities except Ottawa, she visited detention centres, at which she was able to interview some of the detainees.