Carleton graduate Katie DeRosa was announced as the first recipient of the James Travers Foreign Corresponding Fellowship March 14.
The Victoria Times Colonist reporter graduated from Carleton’s journalism school in 2008 and is using the $25,000 grant to investigate the effects of proposed Canadian laws on human smuggling.
The fellowship was established last year after the death of Jim Travers, a well-regarded Canadian journalist who worked for the Toronto Star.
The Charlatan’s Jenny Kleininger caught up with the winner to talk about her project.
The Charlatan (TC): Could you tell me about your project?
Katie DeRosa (KD): In 2010, Vic Toews (the federal minister of public safety) was in Victoria talking about how the government wants to crack down on human smugglers and terrorists and that he doesn’t want Canada’s immigration system to be abused by people who are not actually refugees.
I knew the government was planning on passing a bill to actually amend the way we treat refugees when they come via boat. It’s now called Bill C-31. It’s sort of wrapped into a larger bill, which is one of the problems. When you put a lot of bills into one larger reform, a lot of details get lost.
One of the major proposals of the Conservative government is . . . to have a one-year mandatory detention for “irregular arrivals.”
It possibly could include people who come on a plane but the group [the government is] suspicious of human smuggling is people who come via boat. People come to airports everyday and claim refugee status and boat people only represent two per cent of refugee claimants. But it’s because the government feels they’re more visible.
My project is to go to Australia where they have a mass detention policy . . . and compare how their system functions to what the Canadian government is proposing. There are a lot of refugee experts who say Canada is taking cues from Australia. In Australia, there’s a lot of human rights groups that are opposed to their detention system. There’s also self-harm and hunger strikes from the detainees.
My focus is what exactly are the implications of this bill. I’m also going to go to Thailand . . . to investigate how Canadian authorities are trying to stop the human smuggling boats from leaving before they actually come here. That might be getting to more of the root issue.
TC: What are the challenges you anticipate with your project?
KD: In Thailand . . . it will be a challenge in terms of the language barrier. Second of all, people are fleeing their country. They’re very scared to talk. I’ll just have to find a way to protect identities if they’re at risk. I’d like to talk to some of the Tamil migrants who came to Victoria in 2009 and 2010 because there’s some indication that this bill could be retroactive and that some of these penalties could apply to them. I’ll also be hoping to talk to some of the detainees in the Australia detention centres.
TC: Is this an issue you’ve been passionate about for quite a while?
KD: I was following it quite a bit. . . I talked to refugee and immigration lawyers who were concerned with the laws the government was passing. They were saying the government was already criminalizing these refugees without knowing their background because they were using words like terrorists and human smugglers. Obviously, when the boats came, every [newspaper] across the country was covering it, but when there’s no boats, it’s sort of an issue that disappears. I almost feel like there’s a risk for this bill to pass without proper scrutiny. That, I’m very passionate about. I just want to hold the government accountable for being the compassionate country we say we are.
TC: What are the benefits of winning this award?
KD: Well, it’s the first year of this award and I’m so grateful to receive it. I think what’s so great about the fellowship is that it really gives young journalists the chance to do foreign corresponding work. I work for the Times Colonist, which is a medium-sized paper and we certainly don’t have the budget to be sending me to Australia or Thailand. Newsrooms and budgets are shrinking and things are really tough, but that shouldn’t discourage quality investigative reporting. This grant allows me to tell that important story.
TC: Have you done any investigative reporting before?
KD: Yes, at the Times I’m the police reporter. . . I’ve tried to make it a goal in my career to find investigative stories. But I’ve never done foreign corresponding work and never on anything of this scale.
TC: Do you have any expectations for this summer?
KD: No, I think as a journalist I have to go in with an open mind . . . and remain impartial and see where the story takes me. Refugees are really kept out of view so I’d like to expose some of these issues. That’s definitely a goal of mine: to get access [to the detention centres]. I’ve heard the Australian government is not open to media touring those centers. It’s going to be a challenge but I think it’s just about persistence and trying to get what you want.
TC: Is there a specific area you’re travelling to in Australia and Thailand?
KD: I’ll be going to the areas of Australia where the detention centres are. There’s also some retired immigration officers, for example in Brisbane, who’ve been very outspoken about these detention policies. In Thailand, there are two port cities: Songkhla and Silom. Obviously, I’ll want to go there because that’s where the human smuggling ships leave. Also in Bangkok, the Thai police have an anti-human smuggling operation.
TC: And you’re doing all this by yourself?
KD: Yup, it’s just me. I’ll be taking a camera. I’ll probably have to upgrade for one that’s got a little bit better video so that it’s broadcast quality.
TC: What are you hoping Canadian readers will get out of your investigation?
KD: I hope Canadian readers get a better understanding of our refugee system — also a better understanding of the financial and social impacts of this bill.
I know a lot of times you say a country is gauged on how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. Refugees come here because they’re looking for a better life. They’re fleeing something pretty terrifying. We need to step up and be accountable. They’re our most vulnerable citizens.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
