Amid acclamation as haven of war refugees, Canada has been castigated for the detention of hundreds of children annually, including those coming from warn torn countries.
This after the International Human Rights Program of the University of Toronto disclosed that the country jailed an average of 242 children annually, from 2010 to 2014, for various immigration violations.
The report was released Thursday.
Children, some of them forced to separate from their parents, were sent to correctional facilities, medium security immigration holding stations or solitary confinements.
From the average of 10 days, the length of detention period could extend to 30 days to a few months.
The report pointed out that most of the detained children came from sub-Saharan Africa and Syria, who fled for safety from the unending chaos of their home countries.
Samer Muscati, the report's editor, was quoted by The Guardian questioning the immigration policy of Canada that contradicted to its principle as global promoter of human rights.
Canada's immigration system has been condemned for its practice of detaining children, including the new born.
In response to the call, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) vowed to ease its immigration guidelines especially among children.
The agency promised to observe it commitment to the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, saying that detention of children will be the last resort and only after the child's interest is closely considered.
"When a child is held, it will be for the shortest time possible," the agency added.
It likewise guaranteed to release unaccompanied minors to family members or to a child protection agency. Those children who are with their parents will remain with their parents in a CBSA immigration holding center.
According to the report, this is the first time that the Canadian government and CBSA took serious steps to end child detention after many years of being silent on the issue.
