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Five year women at risk sponsorship plan

Resolution number
9
Whereas
  1. Canada Immigration repeatedly notes in dialogue with the UNHCR that there are not enough sponsors for Women at Risk cases;
  2. Master Agreement holders have developed the expertise to resettle refugee women at risk and have reported that requests to Canada Immigration Centres for unnamed Women at Risk cases have not been met;
  3. Immigration further says that UNHCR does not refer cases in some regions and in regions where there are referrals the cases do not always meet Canada's narrow eligibility and admissibility criteria;
  4. UNHCR cannot refer emergency cases, particularly refugee women who could come pursuant to the Women at Risk Programme, to Canada due to extremely slow processing times. However, European countries who are without a specific Women at Risk Programme are known for processing emergency cases of refugee women at risk within 24 hours to one week;
Therefore be it resolved

That, to show that Master Agreement holders are committed to the Women at Risk Programme:

  1. The CCR Working Group on Overseas Protection and Sponsorship (OPS) establish terms of reference by December 1993 for the processing of refugee women under a Five Year Women at Risk Sponsorship Plan;
  2. The CCR write all Master Agreement holders by January 1994 asking for a commitment to UNHCR-referred Women at Risk cases over the next five years;
  3. The OPS follow up with all Master Agreement holders with regard to their sponsorship commitments in February and March 1994, and compile information by April 1994 on commitments that have been made.
  4. The OPS on behalf of Master Agreement holders work out an implementation plan with the UNHCR and Immigration with regard to the Five Year Women at Risk Sponsorship Plan.