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Priority processing for H&C applications involving best interests of the child

Resolution number
4
Whereas
  1. Canada is signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
  2. Timely family reunification and a full and timely assessment of a child’s best interest are fundamental elements of Canada’s obligations under the said Convention;
  3. In February 2005, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration implemented a program to reduce the processing times of sponsorships of spouses living abroad and to prevent, where possible, the separation of spouses in Canada;
  4. A child’s interests and rights are of equal or greater concern;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR advocate in favour of a policy providing that:

  1. A humanitarian and compassionate application involving the best interests of any child facing removal, or whose parents face removal, receive a full and proper assessment prior to potential removal from Canada;
  2. Applications for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, made either inland or abroad, that invoke the best interests of a child living abroad be processed in priority; an accelerated priority should be given to those applications which invoke risk concerns to the child living abroad.
Subject
Family reunification
H&C
Working Group
Inland Protection