- Settlement Renewal will have significant implications for settlement and integration services in Canada;
- A consultation on national principles was held at the CCR fall consultation with a broad participation including representatives from different provinces across Canada;
- A series of principles were generated. A principle is defined as a commonly held, value-based guideline or framework that guides action;
- Consultation participants have expressed a need for further opportunities to provide a fuller input on the Settlement Renewal consultation;
- This consultation process on Settlement Renewal should be transparent, structured and inclusive with adequate federal funding;
- The settlement core group on behalf of the settlement working group:
* monitor the Settlement Renewal process;
* further develop these principles and draft others which address gaps in the current set;
* develop standards which relate to these principles;
- The CCR forward this document immediately, followed by any subsequent principles and standards, to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration for inclusion in the legal agreements between the Federal Government and partners as determined through the Settlement Renewal process;
- The CCR communicate these principles to all the participants of the Settlement Renewal workshop.
NATIONAL PRINCIPLES
National principles must be upheld by national standards. These standards still need to be developed along with mechanisms which ensure compliance.
1. Client eligibility
a) Settlement/integration services should be available to immigrants/refugees based on need rather than on immigration status or length of time in Canada;
2. Eligibility of Service Deliverers:
b) Services which are mandated by provincial, regional, or local governments (health care, primary‑secondary education, administration of justice) should not be funded as settlement and integration services;
c) Not‑for‑profit, community‑based organizations with proven track records, and a primary mandate in delivering settlement/integration services should be given funding priority;
d) Service-providers should have expertise and skills in the field of settlement and integration;
3. Rights of clients:
e) Providers of settlement and integration services must respect and protect fundamental rights of clients (eg. confidentiality, legal, etc.);
f) Services should be delivered in a manner that is culturally and linguistically appropriate and free from racism and other forms of discrimination;
g) Organizations collecting and using data must meet standards of appropriateness, confidentiality, validity, etc. and must be accountable to the clients whose information is being collected;
4. Comprehensiveness of services:
h) Where appropriate and practical, clients should be able to choose from among service-providers the approach to service-delivery that best meets their needs;
i) Settlement/integration services should:
- meet national standards,
- reflect changing needs of the local community,
- meet the self-defined needs of the individual immigrant/refugee;
5. Accessibility of services
j) Services should be made accessible by identifying and removing systemic barriers;
6. Priority-setting and funding allocation process
k)Where established, local or regional advisory bodies should identify local settlement and integration priorities. These non-partisan bodies should be composed of community members with expertise in the provision of settlement services and reflect the ethno-racial composition of the client group;
7. Humanitarian Obligations
l)Settlement Renewal should not reduce the federal government's national obligations to international responsibility-sharing and offering a safe haven to refugees. The rights and needs of refugees must be integrated and guaranteed priority in the provision of settlement and integration services;
8. Accountability
m) Allocation of settlement funds should be utilized solely for settlement/integration services;
n) Methods for ensuring accountability should be appropriate, realistic and cost effective. They should:
-reflect accountability methods already in place;
-not constitute "undue scrutiny" in comparison with practices for other comparable service sectors;
9. Enduring Federal Role
o) A strong federal role must include a commitment to continue to fund settlement services at a rate not less than the 1994/95 funding level.