Levels

Increased commitment to family reunification

Resolution number
2
Whereas
  1. Family  reunification is a central objective of Canada's immigration programs
  2. The CCR has called on the government to eliminate barriers to family reunification;
  3. Extended families including parents and grandparents are important to social and economic wellbeing of families, including those of refugees and immigrants;
  4. The sponsorship of parents and grandparents have had a lower overall priority in family reunification applications for the last few years;
  5. The moratorium on these applications will close the door to some of these family members;
Therefore be it resolved

that the CCR call on the government of Canada, through CIC, to demonstrate its commitment to family reunification by:

A) rebalancing immigration levels so that families make up at least 40% of the total;

B) expanding the definition of families to reflect the realities of diverse cultural communities;

C) removing barriers to reunification by allocating the resources needed to process applications in a timely manner.

Working Group
Immigration and Settlement
Subject
Family reunification
Levels

Immigration levels

Resolution number
1
Whereas
  1. Canadians, many private and public stakeholders and governments agree that Canada needs immigrants to sustain its current prosperity;
  2. Canada has received immigrants in excess of 1% of the population in several previous years and has become stronger as a result;
  3. Immigration has strengthened Canada's multicultural and multifaith fabric;
  4. Canada is attempting to fill its demographic needs through temporary rather than permanent immigration;
Therefore be it resolved

that the CCR demand that the government of Canada set immigration levels at a minimum of 1% of the population and invest the resources needed for successful settlement and integration.

Working Group
Immigration and Settlement
Subject
Levels

Refugee resettlement levels

Resolution number
6
Whereas
  1. The CCR supports openness, transparency, democracy and accountability in refugee affairs;
  2. The public process relating to the setting of resettlement levels has virtually disappeared;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR encourage the Minister to undertake a more thorough consultation process in preparation for the refugee resettlement levels for 2001.

 
Working Group
Overseas Protection and Resettlement
Subject
Levels

Refugee resettlement targets

Resolution number
14
Whereas
  1. CCR is celebrating 25 years of private sponsorship in Canada;
  2. Canada's resettlement targets, including for private sponsorship, have largely remained unchanged for the past 10 years, even though overall immigration targets have increased;
  3. An increase in overall resettlement targets reflects a commitment to refugee resettlement and may lead to an increase in resource allocation to resettlement processing.
  4. CCR has consistently maintained the three principles of private sponsorship; partnership, additionality and naming;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Urge the Canadian Government to set resettlement targets at a minimum of 8% of overall immigration targets, while respecting the private sponsorship principle of additionality;
  2. Work together with the SAH representatives to the NGO-Government Committee on the Private Sponsorship of Refugees to negotiate annual private sponsorship targets with CIC.
Working Group
Overseas Protection and Resettlement
Subject
Private sponsorship
Levels

Overseas processing and targets

Resolution number
10
Whereas
  1. Overseas processing targets are inadequate, as reported in the “No Faster Way?” and “More than a Nightmare” documents, to meet demand in the family reunification and refugee sponsorship queues;
  2. Canada has an obligation to respond to the legitimate needs of Canadians, including its refugee sponsorship community and its separated families.
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Urge the Government to review the 60/40 ratio in order to increase the numbers of Humanitarian class cases being processed.
  2. Urge the Government to establish and implement service standards for all immigration categories which are simple, fast (in less than 8-12 months) and accessible.
  3. Reaffirm a consistent application for all posts of the policy priorizing refugees.
Working Group
Overseas Protection and Resettlement
Subject
Levels
Overseas processing

Reductions in GARs

Resolution number
1
Whereas
  1. Government Assisted Refugees (GARs) represent one of the most important mechanisms for Canada to protect those refugees in need of protection;
  2. In recent years CIC has been selecting GARs on the basis of need rather than “ability to settle in Canada” which CCR warmly welcomes, which has resulted in increased demands on settlement agencies because of their very high needs;
  3. CIC has recently suggested that this increased demand on services can best be met by reducing the number of GARs.
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration underlining our commitment to Government Assisted Refugees, and the principle of selection based on need, and requesting that the number of GARs NOT be reduced under any circumstances.

Working Group
Immigration and Settlement
Subject
Levels

Immigration levels

Resolution number
11
Whereas
  1. Current limits on the numbers of immigrants and refugees who can come to Canada each year and the unequal division of these numbers between economic and humanitarian classes of immigrants have resulted in long waiting periods for the re-unification of families and the admission of sponsored refugees;
  2. The limits on and division of immigrant and refugee numbers appear to be arbitrary and to have been set without public consultation;
  3. It is widely recognized that family reunification is taking too long and the delays in the processing are causing great hardship;
  4. The group with the most pressing need for family re-unification is refugees;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR call upon the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to:

  1. Commit to an increase in immigration levels.
  2. Commit to a full and transparent review of immigration levels which review will have a meaningful consultation with NGO stakeholders at all stages of review. Among the topics which should be examined in the review are the benefits of increasing the number of immigrants and refugees admitted to Canada each year; and whether the division of admissions between economic and humanitarian classes is fair or necessary.
  3. Pending the review of immigration levels, increase the number of persons admitted to Canada each year by a sufficient number to allow for overseas family members included in inland applicants to be admitted immediately for processing in Canada.
Working Group
Inland Protection
Subject
Family reunification
Levels

African refugees

Resolution number
7
Whereas
  1. There are evident disparities in processing of African refugees’ files in terms of waiting times, refusal rates and systematic DNA testing, in comparison to other regions;
  2. African refugee situations are among the most protracted in the world.
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Request the Government of Canada establish an NGO-Government Committee on African refugee and immigrant issues to further monitor and document the situation and propose viable solutions;
  2. Seek collaboration on these issues with Canadian Council on International Cooperation (CCIC), especially the CCIC Africa Group;
  3. Once again request to be involved meaningfully in the Annual Levels Consultation process.
Working Group
Overseas Protection and Resettlement
Subject
Levels
Overseas processing

Visa office referred cases

Resolution number
5
Whereas
  1. The Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program was established on the principle of additionality;
  2. In November 2006, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration increased the upper limit of the PSR target to 4,500 persons in order to allow for flexibility for sponsors to respond to visa office referred cases without decreasing the number of sponsor referred cases processed;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR call for visa office referred cases to be processed in addition to the established targets of both GARs and PSRs at all visa posts.

Working Group
Overseas Protection and Resettlement
Subject
Levels
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