Leaving newborn children in camps

Resolution number
2
Whereas
  1. Communities are seeing many incidents where sponsored refugees are leaving newborn children behind.
  2. Some children are dying as a result of these decisions.
  3. These decisions are being made based on information circulating in-country that reporting these newborns will result in their travel arrangements being cancelled.
  4. Information on how to report and procedures for reporting do not always reflect the context of refugee applicants regarding access.
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR urge CIC to:

  1. Develop a policy which clearly states that reporting newborn children will not jeopardize a family’s passage to Canada.
  2. Communicate this policy to all embassies and UNHCR requiring that this policy be broadcast throughout the refugee population.
  3. Distribute this policy to refugee support systems in Canada for dissemination in ethnocultural communities.
  4. Facilitate a variety of avenues in which to report newborn children and ensure that applicants receive such information.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement