Immigration and Settlement

That the CCR urge that:

1. Government funding for AAP services be based on delivery of needed services without arbitrary parameters and funding be contracted on a "Global" basis for agreed services;
2. Meaningful dialogue and consultation between service delivery NGOs and CIC take place before final approval of RAP regulations.

That the CCR:

1. Request these dollars be used in all provinces for the purposes for which they were released, i.e. settlement services;
2. Contact the Minister of Immigration to urge her to request that Treasury Board regulations be relaxed to allow the settlement funds allocated for 1997/98 fiscal year as a surplus to be spent on 1998/99 fiscal year.

That the CCR:

1. Adopt the policy that education is a right of all minors regardless of immigration status;
2. Write to appropriate Provincial Ministers of Education urging that they adopt the above policy, and, for those provinces where this is already required by law, urging that they comply with their own legislation;
3. Write to CIC urging that in the interim letters of no objection be issued to the children of refugee claimants without delay prior to determination of eligibility.

That the CCR:

1. Reaffirm its call for RAP services to be contracted on a "global" basis - both temporary accommodation and services -  while maintaining the financial contribution to existing reception centres at the 1997-98 level;
2. Note that "independence" for resettled refugees is best achieved through timely, holistic, effective and appropriate services;
3. Call on Citizenship and Immigration Canada i) to review the proposed RAP implementation and develop national standards, in consultation with NGOs delivering the services and with resettled refugees, and ii) to hold a national meeting for this consultation.

That the CCR play a proactive role in supporting the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered immigrants and refugees by:

1. a) Becoming familiar with the issues affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered immigrants and refugees, with the agencies providing specialized services to these communities, and with the immigration options available to them;

   b) Providing training opportunities at conferences for settlement staff to begin to challenge attitudes which discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered refugees and immigrants;

   c) Developing internal policies that affirm the rights of individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered immigrants and refugees;

   d) Applying inclusive hiring practices that encourage the employment of staff from these communities.

2. Taking a proactive role in encouraging CCR member agencies to accept their responsibility to provide appropriate settlement services to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered immigrants and refugees by undertaking the same initiatives outlined above.

That the Executive of the CCR give priority consideration to establishing an ad hoc joint committee (Settlement/Protection) to deal with the issues of services to refugee claimants.

That the CCR call on CIC to establish a gender policy advisor.

That the CCR call upon the Canadian government to ensure that foreign governments treat all Canadian citizens equally.

That the CCR:

1. Write to the minister of Human Resources Development Canada urging him to amend the Canada Student Loans Act to include Convention Refugees in their eligibility criteria;
2. Urge its members to raise this issue with their local Members of Parliament;
3. Encourage provincial governments to:

   a) advocate this change with the Federal government;

   b) make the same change in their provincial legislation.

That the CCR write to the Ontario Ministry of Education urging that eligibility for funding for language support:

1. be extended to at least five years;
2. be measured relative to the students' arrival in the Ontario school system to allow for adequate support for Canadian born children who start school without English skills and to allow for secondary migration from Quebec.