Immigration and Settlement

1. The freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining are internationally recognized as fundamental principles and rights in the workplace;
2. Some jurisdictions in Canada effectively prevent workers from unionizing or collectively bargaining based on their immigration status or sector of employment;

1. The rampant expansion and continuous demand for the low-skilled (now low-wage) streams of the Temporary Foreign Workers Program (TFWP) make it clear that the labour shortages being filled are long-term and not temporary;
2. The 2011 rule limiting migrant workers in the low-wage stream of the TFWP (previously known as the low-skilled pilot project) to four years of work in Canada, was intended to reinforce the temporary nature of the program, despite the continuing nature of the demand;
3. The above time limits, which only apply to workers in the low-wage stream, exacerbate existing vulnerabilities;
4. Canada’s traditional immigration approach was focused on nation-building through permanent immigration that met the broad range of labour needs across the Canadian economy; all workers were part of the national project;
5. Canada’s shift towards temporary labour migration promotes a two-tiered, stratified society;

Citizenship is fundamental to who we are as a country;

1. The CCR resolved in November 2013 to honour all the Treaties upon which this country is founded and which bind all of us as treaty peoples;
2. Newcomers to Canada enter into that treaty relationship when they become resident in this country;
3. The State does not make newcomers aware of their treaty responsibilities;

1. 1.Training is an essential ingredient for the delivery of quality immigrant and refugee services;
2. There is no centralized or comprehensive documentation of models and resources, although training opportunities and resources exist in some areas of Canada;
3. The CCR has identified the area of settlement training as a specific focus for the 1994 Spring Consultation;

1. The intent of training is to improve the quality and accessibility of settlement service delivery for immigrants and refugees by improving the skills of settlement workers;
2. The demand for training in all regions of the country is increasing;
3. Training programs do not exist in most parts of the country, and where they do exist they are underfunded;

1. 1.Refugee claimants come to Canada seeking refuge from persecution;
2. Refugee claimants have the same needs of shelter, income and employment, education, health and entertainment as all other people;
3. The World Health Organization and Health and Welfare Canada agree that the fundamental condition for good health are peace, shelter, education, food, income, a stable eco-system, sustainable resources, social justice and equity;
4. Canada has signed the United Nations Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights;

1. Refugee claimants come to Canada seeking refuge from persecution;
2. The psychological and physical health needs of refugees have been documented to be significant;
3. Health has been defined by the World Health Organization and Health and Welfare Canada to be a state of complete physical, mental and social well being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity and a fundamental human right;
4. Health has been singled out by the United Nations Committee on Social and Cultural Rights as the most important priority under the Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights which Canada has ratified;
5. Everyone under Canadian jurisdiction and remaining in Canada for completion of federal processing is in the care and protection of the Federal Government;
6. The Federal Minister of Health recognises the emergency health needs of refugee claimants;
7. Doctors are required under the medical ethics to provide health services to all in need;

1. The government of Canada continues not to meet the announced levels for government-assisted refugees;
2. Sufficient funds must be allocated to the AAP program in order to meet announced levels;
3. Accepted refugees in Canada have been separated from their immediate families at risk abroad;

1. Many organizations receive inadequate funding for the administrative costs of delivering the LINC Programme;
2. The contribution of volunteers greatly enhances LINC service delivery, but funding is not provided for volunteer recognition;