Canadian Council for Refugees / Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés
Registration:
32
of
52
(2013-07-02
to
2013-12-23)
Grant, Contribution or Other Financial Benefit
- Settlement services - advocate for access to effective settlement services funded by government for newcomers to Canada.
Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution
- Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act, the Marine Transportation Security Act and the Department of Citizenship and Immigration Act, introduced in Parliament February 16, 2012, approved by Parliament in June 2012. The Regulations and IRB Rules consequent upon this reform affect the refugee determination system. CCR is concerned about provisions that might lead to refugees being unfairly denied protection, as well as the impact on refugees through mandatory detention and denial of permanent residence for 5 years. Since implementation of provisions in June 2012, August 2012 and December 2012, the CCR is monitoring the effects and raising concerns with policy makers. The CCR also intends to give input to the IRB on new rules to be developed regarding the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) which is to be transferred to the IRB in December 2013.
- Bill C-43, Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, received Royal Assent June 19, 2013, with respect to access to appeal based on criminal inadmissibility, denial of access to humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations and changes to ministerial relief provision in sections 34, 35 and 37.
- Protection of trafficked persons - advocating for change of Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to guarantee temporary and permanent protection for trafficked persons
Policies or Program
- Interim Federal Health Program - Changes to the program reducing or eliminatuing coverage for privately-sponsored refugees and for refugee claimants. The CCR continues to monitor and raise concerns about the cuts.
- Introduction of a conditional permanent residence period for sponsored spouses and partners who have been in a relationship of two years or less with their sponsors. Regulatory change made in October 2012. The CCR will monitor impacts of this change and raise concerns if victims of domestic violence seem to be prejudiced.
- Monitor Immigration and Refugee Board policies, particular with respect to detention reviews and refugee determinations, and advocate for policies that respect the rights of non-citizens appearing before the IRB.
- Refugee claim process - ensuring access to the refugee claim process for all who want to make a claim and the fair and timely determination of refugee claims
- Refugee resettlement - obtain effective, fair and timely resettlement for a greater number of refugees, including through the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.
- Regularization of persons without status - promoting measures to allow persons in Canada without status to obtain permanent residence.
- Statelessness - advocate for immigration and citizenship policies that reduce statelessness, and for Canada to sign the 1954 Convention on the Status of Stateless Persons.
Policies or Program, Regulation
- Applications for citizenship, including concerns regarding changes to regulations effective November 2012 respecting proof of language competency (SOR/2012-178). The CCR opposed these changes prior to implementation and is now raising with CIC the impacts of the new documentary requirements on applicants. The CCR is also raising concerns relating to long delays in processing citizenship applications, notably as a result of the expansion of use of the residence questionnaire.
- Temporary Foreign Workers - protection of individual rights. The CCR is concerned about the rights of temporary foreign workers and the impact on Canadian society of the program which has expanded greatly in recent years.
- US-Canada safe third country agreement - oppose denial of access to refugee determination in Canada on the basis of the Safe Third Country Agreement
Regulation
- Family reunification - oppose changes to definition of dependent children and to parent/grandparent sponsorship, pre-published in Canada Gazette, Part I, May 18, 2013. Also achieve effective and timely family reunification in Canada through the immigration program, through elimination or reduction of barriers such as slow processing times, DNA testing, Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulation 117(9)(d)