CCR Resolutions Database

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  • Stays of removal orders

    Res.: 38
    Whereas:
    1. Section 49 (1) of the Immigration Act provides for stay of execution of removal orders when a rejected refugee claimant makes an application for leave to appeal to the Federal Court;
    2. Section 49 (1.1) of the Immigration Act provides that there is no stay for persons "residing or sojourning in the United States" where a section 20 (border) report was made on that person;
    3. The Immigration department is purporting to apply section 49(1.1) to persons who have been residing in Canada for more than one year, telling them to leave while their application for leave to appeal is still before the Federal Court;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR demand that the government cease the practice of removing refugee claimants residing in Canada who entered Canada from the United States and whose applications for leave to appeal are before the Federal Court.

  • Collaborative funding efforts

    Res.: 13
    Whereas:
    1. Under the current era of fiscal restraint and funding cutbacks, agencies are being encouraged to enter into collaborative efforts for service delivery;
    2. The criteria for establishing collaborative efforts has been only loosely developed;
    3. The attempt to forge effective, equitable collaborative efforts has met with little, if any, success;
    4. The funding allocated to conjoint projects is never adequate to allow organizations to engage in a process of development;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Bring to the attention of funders, particularly the federal government and specifically the funders participating in the Culturally Appropriate Social Services Conference in Montreal, June 5 - 7, the need to allocate sufficient funds for the development process of forging equitable collaborative efforts between mainstream and community-based organizations including, but not limited to, the criteria for equitable power-sharing;
    2. Call upon the mainstream organizations to join in the effort of making the development process a reality for forging meaningful, equitable collaborative efforts.

  • Separation of refugee programmes, policy and budget from immigration programmes, policy and budget

    Res.: 18
    Whereas:
    1. The combination of eligibility criteria for overseas refugee processing confirming the person is either a Convention Refugee or a member of a Designated Class and the admissibility criteria based on immigration criteria is a contradiction of the humanitarian and protection focus of the refugee programme;
    2. The combination of the eligibility and admissibility criteria, named above, causes the particular exclusion of women, who suffer from a gender bias in any test based on economic achievement. Sociologist Monica Boyd writes of the triple disadvantage immigrant women face in the job market - gender, nationality and race - which is further compounded by the refugee experience;
    3. The Adjustment Assistance Programme is a source of immigration funds available to support government and jointly sponsored refugees. Refugee levels take into account the budget requirements. Until most recently AAP funds were used to assist indigent immigrants, whose cases and the policy for selection is the responsibility of the immigration (not refugee) section, thereby negatively impacting on the fact that Canada has repeatedly fallen short in its overseas government-assisted refugee resettlement levels;
    4. Refugees in need of protection processed for entry to Canada are frequently denied a transportation loan based on a projection of "inability to repay the loan". The transportation loan system must be administered consistent with the policy objectives of the refugee programme i.e. protection;
    5. The issue of the separation of refugee humanitarian programmes and budget is listed as the fifth of five major topics to be referred to the broad consultations on immigration;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR Executive communicate with the Minister and Department of Citizenship and Immigration recommending that the refugee programmes, policy and budget, including Adjustment Assistance Programme and the Transportation Loan be separated from the immigration programmes, policy and budget. This process should be undertaken in conjunction with stakeholders, such as CCR, Sponsorship Agreement holders, community groups, refugees and settlement agencies. The discussions should include recommendations on the placement of Family Class, immigration levels, levels of special needs cases and programming needs.

  • Genocide

    Res.: 26
    Whereas:
    1. Genocide is going on in various parts of the world by the governments, armies, paramilitary and civil forces;
    2. Refugees are victims and survivors of and witnesses to genocides;
    3. The present international legal mechanisms cannot adequately address the widespread perpetration of genocide today, notably as it affects girls and women, by means of rape in war;
    4. The United Nations has recently begun to discuss the failure of international mechanisms to respond adequately to the crime of genocide;
    Therefore be it resolved:
    1. That the CCR call upon the government of Canada, in international fora:
    2. To address the inadequacy of international mechanisms to respond adequately to the crime of genocide;
    3. To ask for a review of the Genocide Convention;
    4. To provide new funding to the United Nations Human Rights Centre for international human rights mechanisms because these are seriously underfunded.

  • SMIS national working group

    Res.: 1
    Whereas:
    1. Certain clients will not be accessing the services they need if they are aware that information about them will be transmitted to the government;
    2. NGOs' integrity cannot be comprised by supplying confidential information to the government;
    3. NGOs are not satisfied that SMIS has taken into consideration the operational implications or workload on them, nor are they convinced of the accuracy and therefore usefulness of the performance indicators;
    4. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Marchi announced the creation of a National Working Group to reach a compromise agreement on outstanding issues that will be mutually acceptable to the NGO community and the Government;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge: 

    1. That a moratorium be placed on the implementation and piloting of the SMIS until such time as a mutually acceptable agreement is reached by the National Working Group;
    2. That the National Working Group be comprised of:
      1. one provincial representative nominated by each of AMSSA, AAISA, SAISA, MICA, OCASI, and one for the Atlantic Region;
      2. an Information Technology Expert, nominated by the CCR;
      3. a legal expert on privacy, nominated by the CCR;
      4. an expert on programme evaluation, nominated by the CCR;
      5. a refugee client of a CCR member agency;
      6. an immigrant client of a CCR member agency;
      7. government staff including Settlement and Integration Policy, Research and Settlement Operations;
    3. That the National Working Group be co-chaired by an NGO and a government representative;
    4. That the agreements reached by the National Working Group be implemented in a timely fashion;
    5. That the NGO representatives keep the refugee and immigrant services organizations fully informed of the progress and seek their input including but not limited to the following issues:
      1. client confidentiality
      2. who has access to the reports produced
      3. a review of the mandatory information required
      4. what clients and programmes can be exempt from the SMIS reports
      5. the use and the meaningfulness of the performance indicators
      6. what kind of reports will be generated and how will they be used
      7. the security of the data
      8. what process will be used to ensure that planning will be collaborative;
    6. That sufficient funding be made available to the NGO representatives for:
      1. travel
      2. consultation
      3. telephone and fax
      4. expert advice
      5. honoraria for refugee and immigrant client representatives.

  • Rights of claimants during interim measures programme

    Res.: 31
    Whereas:
    1. The Canadian Government has encouraged greater self-sufficiency of refugee claimants by authorizing work permits
    2. The Canadian Government has extended the residency period of many thousands of refugee claimants through new "interim measures";
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Ask the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to instruct his department to grant work permits to refused refugee claimants eligible for the "interim measures" programme;
    2. Urge the Canadian Government to use its best efforts to ensure basic health care for refugee claimants awaiting processing through the "interim measures" programme;
    3. Urge the Minister to impose a moratorium on removals of all failed refugee claimants pending the outcome of the "interim measures programme".

  • Anti-racism and equity

    Res.: 6
    Whereas:
    1. Ministries of Education and Boards of Education across Canada are developing and implementing policies of Race Relations and Ethno-cultural Equity;
    2. Anti-racism education is most effective when it involves participants in a process that addresses attitudinal change;
    3. Member groups of CCR have grassroots, community experience, as well as an analysis from international experience, in the meaning and effects of racism;
    Therefore be it resolved:
    That the CCR communicate with the Ministries of Education with a list of CCR member groups and the recommendation that Boards of Education be encouraged to communicate with these groups as sources of local resource people for teacher workshops, classroom presentations and representation on policy-shaping committees at the Board level.

  • Refugee awareness week and refugee rights day

    Res.: 36
    Whereas:
    The education of the Canadian public and promotion of rights and concerns relating to refugees are vitally important matters to those concerned with the plight of refugees;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Adopt the week in which April 4 falls each year as Refugee Awareness Week and April 4 as Refugee Rights Day;
    2. Recommend to its members the organization of programmes to promote greater understanding of the plight of refugees at this time each year.

  • Settlement worker recognition

    Res.: 11
    Whereas:
    1. Settlement workers provide essential services in providing support during transition and adaptation of immigrants and refugees;
    2. Settlement workers have immense linguistic, cultural and crosscultural skills that are in demand by both the host community and immigrants and refugees;
    3. The majority of settlement workers are immigrants, visible minorities and women;
    4. Two of the four priority groups as identified by the federal government's employment equity plan are visible minorities and women;
    5. The ISAP contracts provided by the Department of Immigration to settlement agencies refuse to acknowledge and/or provide funding for any benefits except those mandated by law (i.e. CPP and UIC);
    6. Settlement agencies are independent and should not be subject to government wage freezes;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration urging him to fully recognize Settlement Worker skills by providing funds to allow settlement agencies to implement an adequate salary structure and benefit package including health and retirement plans.

  • Gender proportionality in refugee resettlement

    Res.: 16
    Whereas:
    1. The UNHCR estimates that 80% of the world's refugees are women and their dependants;
    2. Women refugees comprise a high proportion of the refugee camp populations;
    3. As a result of the gender consultations the need for gender proportionality in Canada's resettlement activities and the possibility of establishing targets for 1995 has been recognized and referred as a major topic to the broad consultation on immigration;
    4. Between 1985 and 1991 women comprised only 23% of the principal applicants of the refugees landed in Canada;
    5. Women refugees face various obstacles throughout the process of overseas selection, admission and integration in Canada. The strong emphasis on immigration criteria uses inappropriate measurement tools to assess a woman's ability to successfully establish in Canada;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR communicate with the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration recommending:

    1. An action plan for the next five years (1995-2000) be developed by government and NGO representatives to enable the enactment of gender quotas of a minimum of 50% women as principal applicants by the year 1997. The development of this action plan should be developed in conjunction with stakeholders;
    2. A minimum level be set for the Women at Risk Programme, effective immediately. This level would include CR1 and CR5 Women at Risk and would access the 20% of the 1994 AAP monies originally destined for indigent immigrants.

  • Acceptance of afghan refugees

    Res.: 21
    Whereas:
    1. The collapse of the Communist regime in Afghanistan did not bring a lasting solution to that country, as was proposed in the UN peace plan that was never implemented, but rather precipitated a more brutal war between rival extremist warlords resulting in heavy civilian casualties, thousands more internally displaced, a new wave of over 100,000 refugees on the Pakistani border and a severe escalation of human rights abuses (as reported in the most recent 1994 publication of Amnesty International);
    2. The UN repatriation programme for Afghan refugees has become an international embarrassment and a gross failure;
    3. Recent UNHCR reports run contrary to the findings of human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and the Report of the UN Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan and inappropriately suggest that Afghans are not in need of resettlement abroad;
    4. Afghan refugees constitute the largest refugee population in the world, but Canadian government sponsorship of Afghans had come to a halt until the recent agreement mentioned below, and the rejection rate for private sponsorship is over 90%;
    5. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration recently negotiated a joint resettlement agreement signed by Sergio Marchi and Mr Aziz Bhaloo, President of the Ismaili Council of Canada and FOCUS Humanitarian Assistance Canada;
    6. The CCR has raised concerns over Afghan refugees in conversations with the Immigration Department numerous times without any results;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Call on the government of Canada to:
      1. In addition to the Ismaili joint resettlement agreement, open the doors for all Afghan refugees, especially women and children who comprise the majority;
      2. Conduct a review of all rejected Afghan refugee sponsorship cases;
      3. Support the UN initiative to end the Afghan conflict through a negotiated settlement;
      4. Discourage neighbouring countries from arming the warring factions;
      5. Call on the UNHCR to provide more accurate information on the situation in Afghanistan;
    2. Write a letter to the government of Canada expressing the following concerns about the new joint resettlement agreement between the government of Canada and the Ismaili Council of Canada and Focus Humanitarian Assistance Canada:
      1. We are concerned that the 500 places per year for Ismailis in Pakistan are part of the current quota for government-assisted refugees for the Middle East, not in addition to that quota. Because of this, there will be fewer places available for Iranians, Iraqis, and other Afghans;
      2. This agreement seems to set a dangerous precedent for off-loading the government's obligation for resettling refugees onto ethnic groups or other private sponsors;
      3. While resettlement of Afghan refugees is welcome, we are concerned about the predetermined selection of refugees based on religious affiliation in a region where many refugees of varying religious affiliations are in need of resettlement;
      4. We urge the government either to treat these 500 refugees as privately sponsored refugees or to expand the regional quota in order to respond to the needs of refugees of all religious affiliations.

  • Forcible return of iranian refugees by turkey

    Res.: 24
    Whereas:
    1. The government of Iran has struck two separate extradition treaties with the governments of Turkey and Pakistan;
    2. Pakistan and Turkey are so-called "first countries of asylum" for refugees fleeing from Iran;
    3. It was reported widely and confirmed by Amnesty International that in return for 14 alleged Kurdish political activists extradited to Turkey, the government of Turkey has extradited at least on one occasion 6 UNHCR refugees to Iran;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR demand that the Canadian government:

    1. Pressure the Turkish and Pakistani governments to adhere to the principle of non-refoulement (article 33 of the Geneva Convention);
    2. Condemn the violation of human rights by the governments of Iran, Turkey and Pakistan and pursue the prevention of the improper use of the extradition treaties by the signatories.

  • Moratorium on IRB appointments

    Res.: 29
    Whereas:
    1. There is broad national concern regarding the quality of appointments to the IRB;
    2. There is a need for independent evaluations of new nominees to the IRB;
    3. In the next few months a high percentage of IRB positions are scheduled to be filled or reappointed;
    Therefore be it resolved:
    That the CCR request that the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration declare a moratorium on new IRB appointments until such time as independent review committees can be established.

  • Female genital mutilation

    Res.: 4
    Whereas:
    1. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) affects over 114 million women and girls in the world;
    2. An estimated 6 - 8 million girls under the age of 10 undergo the process of female genital mutilation each year;
    3. Female genital mutilation is the removal of, or injury to, any part of the female genital organ. The three main types are:

      Type 1) Clitoridectomy ("sunna") which may involve:

      1. Pricking the clitoris to induce bleeding,
      2. partial removal of the clitoris,
      3. complete removal of the clitoris

       

      Type 2)  Excision - removal of the clitoris and partial or complete removal of the labia minora

      Type 3) Infibulation ("Pharaonic mutilation") removal of the clitoris, labia minora, parts of the labia majora and the stitching together of the vulva (infibulation) to obliterate the urethra and the vaginal orifice except for a small opening (Women's Health in Women's Hands);

    4. Female Genital Mutilation is valued as a significant ritual within the cultures and communities in which it is practised but it has no valid religious or spiritual basis;
    5. Female Genital Mutilation can cause death in extreme cases or will leave the young woman with ongoing, lifelong health problems such as urinary and menstrual flow retention, dysmenorrhoea, infections of the reproductive and urinary tract, chronic pelvic infection, problems with childbirth, with sexual activity and chronic pain;
    6. Female Genital Mutilation is specifically identified as illegal in many countries and in Canada it is considered as child abuse in the section of physical abuse and aggravated assault;
    7. Female Genital Mutilation is child abuse but is also a violation of women's human rights, is violence against women, is violence against women's sexuality, is torture;
    8. Most importantly, Female Genital Mutilation is being practised in refugee camps, and it is well known what the sanitary conditions of refugees camps are like to undertake a radical surgery such as FGM;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Recommend to the UNCHR to recognise that Female Genital Mutilation is a human rights issue, and that it should be treated as such;
    2. Request that the Criminal Code of Canada be amended to specifically identify Female Genital Mutilation as a criminal act, and explore the possibility of appropriate new legislation;
    3. Urge the Federal and Provincial Ministries to appropriate funds and resources to provide counselling and support groups for the victims of FGM, for educational programmes to take place within the communities in which Female Genital Mutilation is practised and in order for the affected communities to educate the mainstream Canadian society, in particular, health service providers and educational institutions;
    4. Continue to pursue the issue of Female Genital Mutilation through information sharing, education and in advocacy;
    5. Explore the inclusion of FGM on the platform for action in the upcoming fourth world conference on Women, in Beijing 1995;
    6. Urge Canada to provide protection to women and to women and their daughters who are fleeing the FGM practice.

  • Drugging of deportees

    Res.: 34
    Whereas:
    1. The CCR has learned of a forcible drugging incident involving a pregnant woman deported to Zaire;
    2. Immigration officials have said that drugging has occurred in at least twelve cases of deportation last year;
    Therefore be it resolved:
    That the CCR demand an independent inquiry into this incident and into the practice of medicating people for the purposes of deportation.

  • Access to health care services for refugee claimants

    Res.: 9
    Whereas:
    1. Health service is a right in Canada;
    2. Eligibility to the new Interim Federal Health Programme will be based on response of refugee claimants at points of entry and inland immigration offices to the question: "will you be able to cover any medical costs you may incur while your claim is being processed?";
    3. The claimant will be intimidated and scared to answer "no" for fear that this would jeopardize their claim;
    4. The claimant will be required to sign a declaration of eligibility (IMM-1442) at the point of entry or inland office;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR: 

    1. Urge the Federal Immigration Department to consider the removal of any eligibility criteria to be asked at the point of entry or inland offices at a time when claimants are seeking asylum;
    2. Request that the question of ability to pay for medical costs be removed and that health services be made available unconditionally to all claimants regardless of ability to pay;
    3. Urge the Department of Citizenship and Immigration to remove the mandatory condition that claimants sign the declaration of eligibility.

  • Landing fees for convention refugees

    Res.: 39
    Whereas:
    1. Persons recognized as Convention Refugees are recent arrivals in Canada;
    2. Their economic resources may be limited;
    3. Family reunification is a priority;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Condemn the imposition of cost recovery fees for landing application from all Convention refugees and their dependants;
    2. Request that the government amend the regulations to eliminate these processing fees; or in the alternative, that the government accept and process landing applications from all Convention refugees and their dependants when they are received and defer the payment of processing fees until the point of landing.

  • Training for tomorrow

    Res.: 5
    Whereas:
    1. The intent of training is to improve the quality and accessibility of settlement service delivery for immigrants and refugees by improving the skills of settlement workers;
    2. The demand for training in all regions of the country is increasing;
    3. Training programs do not exist in most parts of the country, and where they do exist they are underfunded;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR play a leading role in advocating to the federal government for the expansion of existing and the creation of new funding programs for settlement training.

  • Economic aid for Iraqi Kurdistan

    Res.: 10
    Whereas:
    1. The United Nations persuaded the Kurds of Northern Iraq to return to their homeland;
    2. The current food, medicine and electricity shortages as well as the "double embargo" are all combining to cause great suffering to the people of Iraqi Kurdistan, and to create sentiments of frustration and distrust of the allied forces among some of the Kurds;
    Therefore be it resolved:
    That the CCR request the Department of External Affairs to urge the United Nations to ensure that adequate economic aid is given to the people of Iraqi Kurdistan to ensure that basic needs are met, thereby promoting greater overall stability in the region.

  • Call to ban anti-personnel land mines

    Res.: 18
    Whereas:
    1. Anti-personnel land mines that detonate on contact are indiscriminate weapons that remain hidden and lethal long after the end of a conflict;
    2. Anti-personnel mines have killed or mutilated tens of thousands of civilians and rendered large tracts of agricultural and pastoral land unusable, preventing the subsistence and economic development of rural populations;
    3. In most countries women and children are especially affected as direct victims through their agricultural and pastoral work or through death and disabling of their husbands and fathers;
    4. The 1981 United Nations Protocol on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Mines, Booby traps and other Devices has failed to prevent the indiscriminate use of anti-personnel mines but unfortunately international law permits the use of land mines to achieve "defensive" military objectives;
    5. The CCR adopted Resolution 14 at the Consultation in Winnipeg in November 1992 calling for Canada to ratify the Land Mines Protocol and to press other states of the United Nations to do likewise;
    6. Land mines remain an obstacle to the durable solution of voluntary repatriation for refugees;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That:

    1. The CCR join a growing number of organizations including Handicap International, Human Rights Watch, Medico International, Mines Advisory Group, Physicians for Human Rights and the Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation in a joint call for:
      1. An international ban on the use, production, stockpiling, and sale, transfer or export of antipersonnel mines;
      2. The establishment of an international fund, administered by the United Nations, to promote and finance landmine awareness, clearance and eradication programs worldwide;
      3. Countries responsible for the production and dissemination of anti-personnel mines to contribute to the international fund;
    2. The CCR call on the government of Canada to support and promote an international ban on the use, production, stockpiling, and sale, transfer or export of antipersonnel mines;
    3. The CCR urge the government of Canada to support and promote the establishment of an international fund, administered by the United Nations, to promote and finance landmine awareness, clearance and eradication programs worldwide;
    4. The CCR call on the government of Canada to urge countries responsible for the production and dissemination of anti-personnel mines to contribute to the international fund.

  • Minimum standards

    Res.: 28
    Whereas:
    1. The Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees is the only intergovernmental body in the U.N. system which has responsibility specifically for the international protection of refugees;
    2. The denial of fairness of refugee determination procedures can lead to the rejection of real refugees in error;
    3. Refugee determination procedures in signatory states to the Refugee Convention vary widely, and often do not provide for fairness in refugee determination;
    Therefore be it resolved:
    That the Canadian Council for Refugees calls on the Government of Canada and the International Council of Voluntary Agencies to request that the Executive Committee of the UNHCR approve and open for signature an international agreement on minimum procedural standards for considering refugee claims.

  • Health services

    Res.: 3
    Whereas:
    1. Refugee claimants come to Canada seeking refuge from persecution;
    2. The psychological and physical health needs of refugees have been documented to be significant;
    3. Health has been defined by the World Health Organization and Health and Welfare Canada to be a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity and a fundamental human right;
    4. Health has been singled out by the United Nations Committee on Social and Cultural Rights as the most important priority under the Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights which Canada has ratified;
    5. Everyone under Canadian jurisdiction and remaining in Canada for completion of federal processing is in the care and protection of the Federal Government;
    6. The Federal Minister of Health recognises the emergency health needs of refugee claimants;
    7. Doctors are required under the medical ethics to provide health services to all in need;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That:

    1. The CCR urge the Federal Minister of Health to work with the provincial Ministers of Health to find an effective way to deliver equitable health services to all people living in Canada including refugee claimants;
    2. The CCR contact the Canadian Medical Association and the provincial Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons and other professional health organizations to obtain policy positions on the insurance of health services delivery to ALL those requiring medical intervention;
    3. The CCR advocate that the Federal Minister of Health, in consultation with the CCR, strike a committee to advise federal and provincial ministers of health on the equitable delivery of health services and that members of this committee come from immigrant-serving NGO's, the Federal and Provincial Ministries of Health and Health Professionals.

  • Physical protection of refugee women

    Res.: 8
    Whereas:
    1. Increased violence against refugee women in camps, including rape and female genital mutilation practices, has been documented;
    2. Recent reports by Africa Watch document widespread rape in the refugee camps in North Eastern Kenya;
    3. The Somali community has on several occasions raised concern about the lack of security in refugee camps;
    4. There is very little or no funding for programs to provide physical protection to refugee women;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR write to:

    1. The Canadian government to urge that funds be allocated to UNHCR and relevant NGO's for programs providing physical protection to refugee women, and education and eradication of female genital mutilation, particularly in camps in North Eastern Kenya;
    2. The UNHCR and non-governmental organizations to urge that their workers return to live in the camps so that through their presence there will be better safety conditions in the camps.

  • Silence on plight of Afghan refugees

    Res.: 13
    Whereas:
    1. The Special Rapporteur on Afghanistan for the U.N. Commission for Human Rights of February 1993 clearly shows that there are serious human rights crises in Afghanistan and in the Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan;
    2. Women and non-fundamentalists are subject to persecution and selective assassination by extremist fundamentalists in the refugee camps in Pakistan, with women and girls being denied employment and access to education;
    3. Aid to the Afghan refugees in the camps in Pakistan has been severely cut back;
    4. Afghan refugees represent 20 to 25% of all the refugees in the world but this is not reflected in Canadian resettlement efforts;
    5. Church and group sponsorship applications have been refused by Canadian visa officers in Pakistan and India, who claim that they do not meet the refugee definition, despite the massive violations of the refugees' human rights;
    6. Some Afghan refugee claimants have been refused by I.R.B. members who are not aware of the true situation in Afghanistan and Pakistan;
    Therefore be it resolved:
    1. The CCR reaffirm the positions adopted in Resolution 7 of May 1993;
    2. The CCR call on the government and the UNHCR to use the Women at Risk program to assist Afghan women who are in need and to make visa officers aware of this program;
    3. The CCR call on the government to give special consideration to Afghan refugees for resettlement in Canada, recognizing their protection and resettlement needs in the light of the continued civil war.

  • Guidelines on gender persecution for visa posts

    Res.: 16
    Whereas:
    1. IRB Guidelines on women refugee claimants fearing gender-related persecution were issued in March 1993 by the chairperson pursuant to section 65(3) of the Immigration Act;
    2. IRB members are expected to use the Guidelines in applying the Convention refugee definition to ensure that women who fear gender persecution can be found to be refugees;
    3. The IRB Guidelines were distributed to all overseas visa posts as information;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR encourage:

    1. The adoption of these Guidelines in visa posts for use in overseas refugee selection;
    2. The department of Citizenship and Immigration to monitor the implementation of the Guidelines for overseas selection;
    3. The inclusion of the Guidelines in the training of visa officers to facilitate greater understanding of gender persecution.