Annual Report 2013 - 2014
An overview of the CCR's activities for the period 2013 - 2014.
An overview of the CCR's activities for the period 2013 - 2014.
An overview of the CCR's activities for the period 2013 - 2014.
An overview of the CCR's activities for the period 2013 - 2014.
A trifold pamphlet about the Walk with refugees (15 - 21 June 2015). Includes ideas to get involved and ways to continuing walking with refugees throughout the year.
Many different terms are used to describe refugees and immigrants. Some have particular legal meanings, some are mean and offensive. Using terms properly is an important way to treat people with respect and advancing an informed debate on the issues.
Refugee – a person who is forced to flee from persecution and who is located outside of their home country.
Convention refugee – a person who meets the refugee definition in the 1951 Geneva Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. This definition is used in Canadian law and is widely accepted internationally. To meet the definition, a person must be outside their country of origin and have a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.
Refugee claimant or Asylum Seeker – a person who has fled their country and is asking for protection in another country. We don’t know whether a claimant is a refugee or not until their case has been decided.
'Claimant’ is the term used in Canadian law. |
Resettled refugee – a person who has fled their country, is temporarily in a second country and then is offered a permanent home in a third country. Refugees resettled to Canada are selected abroad and become permanent residents as soon as they arrive in Canada.
Resettled refugees are determined to be refugees by the Canadian government before they arrive in Canada. Refugee claimants receive a decision on whether they are refugees after they arrive in Canada. |
Protected person – according to Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a person who has been determined to be either (a) a Convention Refugee or (b) a person in need of protection (including, for example, a person who is in danger of being tortured if deported from Canada).
Internally displaced person – a person who is forced to leave their home, but who is still within the borders of their home country.
Stateless person – a person that no state recognizes as a citizen. Some refugees may be stateless but not all are. Similarly, not all stateless people are refugees.
You may also hear… Political refugee, Economic refugee, Environmental refugee – these terms have no meaning in law. They can be confusing because they incorrectly suggest that there are different categories of refugees.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A REFUGEE AND AN IMMIGRANT?
A refugee is forced to flee for their lives. An immigrant chooses to move to another country. |
Immigrant – a person who has settled permanently in another country.
Permanent resident – a person granted the right to live permanently in Canada. The person may have come to Canada as an immigrant or as a refugee. Permanent residents who become Canadian citizens are no longer permanent residents.
Temporary resident – a person who has permission to remain in Canada only for a limited period of time. Visitors and students are temporary residents, and so are temporary foreign workers such as agricultural workers and live-in caregivers.
Migrant – a person who is outside their country of origin. Sometimes this term is used to talk about everyone outside their country of birth, including people who have been Canadian citizens for decades. More often, it is used for people currently on the move or people with temporary status or no status at all in the country where they live.
Economic migrant – a person who moves countries for a job or a better economic future. The term is correctly used for people whose motivations are entirely economic. Migrants’ motivations are often complex and may not be immediately clear, so it is dangerous to apply the “economic” label too quickly to an individual or group of migrants.
Person without status – a person who has not been granted permission to stay in the country, or who has stayed after their visa has expired. The term can cover a person who falls between the cracks of the system, such as a refugee claimant who is refused refugee status but not removed from Canada because of a situation of generalized risk in the country of origin.
You may also hear... Illegal migrant/illegal immigrant/Illegal – these terms are problematic because they criminalize the person, rather than the act of entering or remaining irregularly in a country. International law recognizes refugees may need to enter a country without official documents or authorization. It would be misleading to describe them as “illegal migrants”. Similarly, a person without status may have been coerced by traffickers: such a person should be recognized as a victim of crime, not treated as a wrong-doer.
Download and print this document for your own use and for distribution.
Distinguishes between common terms used to talk about refugee and immigrants in Canada and around the world, 2 pages. 2010.
A one-page, illustrated overview of recent changes affecting refugees and refugee claimants in Canada. The ideal tool for your next public presentation.
A quarter-page flyer that highlights some of the top reasons we can and should be Proud to Protect Refugees in Canada.
There have been many recent changes in immigration and refugee policies in Canada. How might these changes affect women and girls?
Significant changes have been made recently to Canada’s refugee determination system, mostly taking effect on 15 December 2012. Key features are:
Cuts made in June 2012 by the federal government to its Interim Federal Health (IFH) Program have left many refugees, refugee claimants and certain other non-citizens without coverage for essential health care services. Some people are without any coverage at all.
In many regions, particularly in Africa, processing is extremely slow for resettlement to Canada or for reunification with family members who are refugees in Canada.
In October 2012, the federal government introduced “conditional” permanent residence for some sponsored spouses and partners for a period of two years. If they don’t remain with their sponsor throughout this period, their permanent residence could be revoked, and they could be deported.
Canada has in recent years shifted dramatically towards temporary migration. At the end of 2012, there were over 300,000 Temporary Foreign Workers in Canada, an increase of 70% over the past five years.
Women and girls are particularly vulnerable to trafficking in persons, and new barriers to access to status in Canada only increase risks.
March 2013
There have been many recent changes in immigration and refugee policies in Canada. How might these changes affect women and girls?
2012 brought many important and difficult changes for resettled refugees, refugee claimants and other newcomers to Canada. These changes mean that Canada is slipping in its respect for the basic rights of refugee and newcomer families. The mostly negative rhetoric accompanying the changes also makes Canada a less welcoming country.
Significant changes to Canada’s refugee determination system were introduced on 15 December 2012. Under the new system:
![]() All refugee claims should be treated fairly and equally, based on merit and independent of political considerations. |
In addition, the law now allows the Minister of Public Safety to designate groups of two or more people, based on mode of arrival. Individuals designated face mandatory detention and a 5 year bar on family reunification, among other rights restrictions. Five groups were designated on 4 December.
On the positive side, some refused refugee claimants finally have access to a full appeal on the merits (although many are denied this right) and accepted refugees no longer face a 180-day time limit to apply for permanent residence, which complicated procedures and delayed family reunification for some in the past.
A series of changes combine to suggest that Canadians will have less say over which refugees are resettled to Canada, but will be asked to pay for more.
![]() Private sponsorship of refugees in Canada must:
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On June 30, 2012, the federal government implemented cuts to its Interim Federal Health Program, which covers basic health care for refugees, refugee claimants and certain other non-citizens.
![]() Everyone who lives in Canada should be entitled to an acceptable level of healthcare. Canadians are at their best when they treat refugees fairly and with respect. |
The cuts have led to:
![]() Canada must return to a policy of permanent immigration to Canada. Special attention must be paid to situations of inequality between spouses and of potential violence and exploitation due to precarious status. |
In 2012, the federal government implemented a period of “conditional permanent residence” for some sponsored spouses and partners. Under the new rules, if an affected spouse leaves his or her sponsor within two years of arrival in Canada, he or she could be stripped of permanent resident status and deported. This change increases the risk of conjugal violence.
2012 has seen a series of changes, which reduce migrant workers’ rights:
![]() Canada must return to a permanent immigration policy for all migrant workers, regardless of skill category, to address long-term employment needs. External oversight of employers must be mandatory. All migrant workers should gain access to settlement services. |
There are increasing concerns that migrant workers are vulnerable to exploitation, abuse and even trafficking.
![]() Citizenship should be accessible to all permanent residents, including refugees and stateless persons who have no other State to protect them. |
Starting 1 November 2012, applicants for Canadian citizenship must provide proof of their English or French skills, at their own expense. Previously, the government assessed applicants’ language competencies.
The CCR is concerned that these new citizenship language requirements will place additional burdens on refugees and other vulnerable newcomers.
An overview of the CCR's activities for the period 2011 - 2012.
In keeping with Canada's history of welcoming, respecting and enabling newcomers to thrive, the CCR's Year in Review looks at the progress Canada has made in 2011 and reflects on where we failed to advance.