Canadian Council for Refugees / Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés
Registration:
34
of
52
(2014-05-27
to
2014-10-31)
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
- Protection of trafficked persons - advocating for change of Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to guarantee temporary and permanent protection for trafficked persons
Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program
- CBSA complaint mechanism - calling for an independent effective complaint and accountability mechanism for CBSA.
- Removals of permanent residents on the basis of criminal inadmissibility, particularly in the wake of Bill C-43, Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act, which received Royal Assent June 19, 2013. CCR's concern relates to lack of due consideration of humanitarian and compassionate factors in making removals, particularly of long-term residents.
- The CCR is monitoring the effects of implementation of Bill C-31, An Act to amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which was passed June 2012 and variously implemented June 2012, August 2012, December 2012 and December 2014. 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 2014. The changes in particular affect the refugee determination system. CCR is concerned about provisions that 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.
Legislative Proposal, Bill or Resolution, Policies or Program, Regulation
- Issues relating to citizenship, including Bill C-24 to amend the Citizenship Act. Also barriers and delays in access to citizenship, including including as a result of 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.
Policies or Program
- Cessation - following changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in 2012 loss of refugee status through cessation results (in some cases) in loss of permanent residence. Raising concerns (with CBSA, CIC and IRB) about current practices regarding cessation applications and the impacts on long-term residents.
- 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 continues to the monitor impacts of this change and is raising concerns about access to the exemption for victims of domestic violence.
- 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. Selection should be based on protection needs of refugees.
- 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
- 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)