Immigration and Settlement

Citizenship and Immigration Canada, HRDC, Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage plan to improve the process for recognizing foreign credentials, for example by allowing for the process to begin overseas; coordinating credential evaluation processes; setting up a single source of information and licensing requirements and establishing norms for work experience;

1. Refugees recognized in Canada have already undergone a medical on arriving in Canada;
2. CIC is interpreting the new immigration legislation to require a second medical, on application for permanent residence, where more than 12 months have passed since the first medical.
3. It is arbitrary, inefficient and discriminatory to target refugees simply because the waiting period between their arrival in Canada and their application for permanent residence exceeds 12 months.

1. The current HRDC priorities for funding are: women, youth, aboriginal people, people with disabilities;
2. The current HRDC practice provides no resources to assist new Canadians to fully participate in the Canadian labour market;
3. These policies are designed to assist disadvantaged populations to enter the mainstream labour market;
4. The integration of newcomers to the Canadian labour market requires a head start equal to that of the already identified groups;

1. Immigrants and refugees with and without status have contributed to Canada's economic and social well-being throughout this country's history;
2. Canada is home to many immigrants and refugees who do not have permanent resident status;
3. These immigrants and refugees have come to Canada for a variety of reasons, including social problems, war, political persecution, family reunification and economic dislocation, often as a result of globalization and trade liberalization;
4. An increasingly restrictive Canadian immigration policy screens out all but a select few;
5. The Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement could create more non-status persons by forcing refugee claimants to turn to desperate measures in an attempt to reach their destinations;
6. Organizations such as the Vancouver Association of Chinese Canadians (VACC), le Comité d'action des sans statut, the Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association and STATUS (Campaign to regularize Non-Status Immigrants) recognize the struggles persons without status face here in Canada;
7. As members of the CCR, we are part of a progressive organization that is committed to the rights and protection of refugees in Canada and to the settlement of refugees and immigrants in Canada;

1. Young people are under-represented in the CCR;
2. There are increasing numbers of separated children and youth coming to Canada;
3. In order to remain relevant to immigrants and refugees, the CCR must find ways to increase youth participation;

1. We are witnessing a significant increase in the number of immigrants recently, and trends indicate that this will likely continue for years to come;
2. We see a significant increase in costs to deliver settlement services, due to increases in rents and other infrastructure costs, increased staff compensation levels, etc;

1. Permanent residents, protected persons and citizens have the right to establish a longstanding relationship by co-habiting with or marrying a partner of their choice and have children, regardless of status;
2. Families are a key foundation of civil society and every effort should be taken to ensure that partners and their offspring are not separated;

The provision of services of a certain quality is a social responsibility for agencies providing services to refugee and immigrant clients;

1. Undocumented/non-status immigrants and refugees who have been living without status in Canada have made and continue to make vital contributions to our society;
2. They have been denied access to basic social supports, health services and educational opportunities;
3. They are exploited and marginalized because of lack of status;
4. The rights of the children of undocumented/non-status immigrants and refugees, including those who are Canadian-born, are often violated and they and their parents have no recourse because they are fearful of being deported;
5. An increasingly restrictive Canadian immigration policy serves as a prohibitive barrier to equitable access to immigration to Canada;
6. In the past the Canadian Government has instituted special programs to regularize the status of such persons without status;
7. A just and humane solution must be sought to address the problem of the large numbers of undocumented/non-status immigrants and refugees in the country;

1. Canada issued over 87,000 temporary work permits last year;
2. People living on temporary work permits are often in precarious and unstable situations;
3. Many people living on work permits will eventually become landed in Canada;
4. People living on temporary work permits are all contributing community members and paying taxes;