Immigration and Settlement

That the CCR call on the federal and provincial governments to ensure that there is a fair process whereby newcomers can gain recognition of the skills they acquired elsewhere and have:

1. access to training to meet Canadian standards;
2. a right of appeal from denial of such recognition or access.

That the CCR contact the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and request consultations with the CCR and representatives of new Canadian communities before proceeding further with the IMM 2000.

That the CCR:

1. Write to CIC National Headquarters asking that:

   a)The Federal Government cease active pursuit of negotiations on settlement renewal with the government of Ontario;

   b)CIC Ontario Region proceed as if settlement renewal will not go forward.

2. Suggest that CIC improve their management of ISAP, Host and LINC contracts by:
   • Reducing the micro management of contracts, by, among other things, moving from monthly to quarterly reporting and by being more flexible and, at a minimum, implementing the ISAP Handbook which states that "you may shift funds from one cost category to another without prior approval";
   • Respecting agencies' difficulties with cashflow and interest charges by systematically making reasonable advances of funds;
   • Paying salary and administrative costs, including benefits, at a just level of remuneration across the country;
   • Seeking substantive agency input into all of the above.

That the CCR urge its members to:

1. Actively encourage more civic participation by immigrants and refugees;
2. Explore the development of programming to facilitate this goal.

That the CCR adopt the above-mentioned position paper and communicate it to Citizenship & Immigration Canada with the request that it be considered and its implications discussed with members of the CCR.

Subject: Settlement in Canada of Refugees from Kosovo

Goal: To resettle in destinations across Canada those refugees from Kosovo now located in government "sustainment sites".

Principles: For refugees from Kosovo, as for all refugees needing resettlement in Canada, the CCR believes in a focus upon what is best for each, including:

1. Appropriate destining
2. Orientation to Canada
3. Orientation to community
4. Opportunities for refugees to make choices
5. Application of best settlement practices
6. Varied and creative approaches to successful settlement
7. Equity of services
8. Interdependence of the service-providing infrastructure

   While recognizing that the following principles can have general application to the resettlement of all refugees, with particular relevance to the refugees from Kosovo now arriving under "Operation Parasol", the CCR believes in:

9. The benefit of community involvement, and the opportunity to engender goodwill for these and other refugees
10. The need for appropriate training and support of volunteers
11. Access to the service-providing community's long experience
12. The mutually supportive roles of Sponsorship Agreement Holders and Service Providing Organizations
13. The commitment of both sponsoring and service providing organizations to "welcome the stranger", transcending and extending any contractual arrangements with government to provide sponsorship or services
14. The responsibility of the Federal government to provide adequate resources so that the commitment and obligation of the responding community can be fulfilled to the best standards developed over the past twenty years
15. The need for communication, partnership, consultation, and co-ordinated response among all levels of government, sponsoring organizations and service providing organizations in a spirit of goodwill and common objectives;

That the CCR demand that implementation of the Urgent Protection Pilot Project proceed without further delay.

That the CCR write to the Metropolis Secretariat and all Canadian national Metropolis centres urging Metropolis to:

1. Partner with the settlement sector in organizing a seminar highlighting research done by NGOs;
2. Provide mechanisms to facilitate the development of a network of NGOs, including community organizations serving immigrants and refugees, from the participating Metropolis countries;
3. Commit to helping community organizations serving immigrants and refugees participate by encouraging government and universities to provide funding for their meaningful participation, including national and international conferences;
4. Develop an effective process for the three partners, that is, government, academics and community organizations serving immigrants and refugees, to translate research results to policy change, and from policy change to policy implementation;
5. Enable newcomers themselves to be meaningful partners with government, academics and community organizations serving immigrants and refugees, and not just research subjects.

That CCR urge CIC to:

1. Distribute the report to all LINC providers to encourage wider input;
2. Allow for consultation on recommended outcome measures before finalizing the measures;
3. Be cognizant of the cost implications of outcome measurements for service providers;
4. Commit themselves to a wide consultation on outcome measures for the ISAP and HOST programs.

That:

1. The CCR urge CIC to review, in consultation with settlement agencies, the manner in which CIC contracts with agencies. The objective of this review is to establish accountability measures which promote the best possible services for clients and efficient, effective agency management;
2. The review address, inter alia, the following specific issues occurring in some regions:

   (a) the independence of agencies and the fact that they are already subject to annual external audits;

   (b) the importance of client confidentiality;

   (c) the fact that rigid enforcement of ISAP eligibility rules undermines the ability of agencies to offer services in a welcoming and client centered manner (noting that CCR has resolved in November 1995 that services should be available on the basis of need);

   (d) the necessity of agencies to respect employment standards and human rights legislation as employers (particularly with regards to cuts which lead to layoffs and the practice of forcing agencies to lay off, on the basis of national origin, settlement workers, many of whom serve diverse clienteles);

   (e) the provision of reasonable and consistent administrative and overhead costs and the practice of insisting that agencies subsidize ISAP services through private fund-raising and funds from other institutional funders (an unrealistic maximum of 15% administrative costs is set in some regions);

   (f) the need for a reasonable balance between CIC's obligation to monitor funds, the administrative burden of reporting and the usefulness of information to be collected;

   (g) the use of three month contracts with long established partners, making it impossible to plan services, rent facilities and manage staff and causing agencies to devote a disproportionate amount of time to contract negotiation.

That the CCR urge that:

1. Refugee claimants be included in any and all funding formulas as legitimate recipients of settlement services throughout Canada;
2. Additional funds be made available for settlement agencies to provide appropriate levels of services to this client group;
3. The provinces that receive fewer numbers of refugee claimants not be financially penalized by this reality.