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CCR Resolutions Database

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  • Res.: 7
    Whereas:
    1. The government of Canada is now contemplating the use of temporary work permits to attract new immigrants to settle in smaller communities:
    2. The use of temporary work permits with geographical limitations to attract potential immigrants and their families to Canada is cruel and damaging, if, for some reasons beyond their reasonable control, permanent residency is not eventually granted;
    3. Restricting mobility within Canada is a violation of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and will create two classes of residents;
    4. Restricting settlement in certain areas without adequate access to settlement, economic and social services may impose undue hardship on new immigrants and the host communities.
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR request the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to:

    1. Desist from implementing any re-population strategy for smaller communities that involves immigration without consulting stakeholders and ensuring that these communities have the supports necessary to welcome new immigrants;
    2. Refrain from extending the program which uses temporary permits as a pre-condition to obtaining the right to apply for permanent residence status at the end of a specified time period.
  • Res.: 12
    Whereas:
    1. A Vietnamese group of about 2000 refugees screened out by the Comprehensive Plan of Action still lives in Palawan, Philippines in very poor conditions and without any prospect of a durable solution for either repatriation or local integration;
    2. This group of refugees has ties to Canada through family and other community links;
    3. The Vietnamese Canadian community is offering sponsorship under the Private Sponsorship Program;
    4. UNHCR has acknowledged that this group of persons is in need of a durable solution;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge the Government of Canada to consider this group of refugees for resettlement to Canada through the private sponsorship of refugees program.

     
  • Res.: 3
    Whereas:
    1. The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has delayed the implementation of the Refugee Appeal Division without postponing the introduction of one-member IRB panels;
    2. Refugee claimants' right to a fair hearing is thereby inadequately protected;
    3. The Minister announced orally on May 17, 2002 that he would implement the appeal within one year;
    Therefore be it resolved:

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

    1. Implement the RAD immediately;
    2. If he is unwilling to implement the RAD immediately, to:  a) repeat in writing his commitment to implement the RAD within one year.  b) delay the reduction of IRB panel members until the RAD is implemented.
  • Res.: 8
    Whereas:
    1. Separated children are by definition without the care and protection of their parents or other primary caregivers, often face many dangers during their flight and arrive in Canada disoriented and frightened;
    2. Front-end security interviews require separated children to respond to often lengthy and detailed questions including those related to their refugee claim;
    3. Separated children would be unlikely to know of the 1951 Refuge Convention reasons and their flight reasons are frequently multi-factorial and may include child-specific violations of human rights;
    4. It is inappropriate that children under 18 be interviewed in the absence of a parent or guardian;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR request to CIC that immigration examinations with separated children only be conducted in the presence of a properly appointed designated representative or guardian.

     
  • Res.: 13
    Whereas:
    1. The human rights situation in Guatemala is deteriorating;
    2. The Québec-Guatemala accompaniment project, an organization that works to protect the basic rights of Guatemalans, is undertaking urgent actions;
    3. Guatemala is on the source country list;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Participate in the urgent actions of the Québec-Guatemala accompaniment project by sending a letter to the Guatemalan authorities concerned by this situation;
    2. Vigorously encourage CIC to make the best possible use of the Source Country Class in order to resettle Guatemalans who fear persecution if they remain in the country.
  • Res.: 18
    Whereas:
    1. CIC is committed to implementing a model for referral agencies as one of the access control mechanisms for identifying refugees for resettlement to Canada;
    2. CCR has expressed some concerns with how the potential models will be designed and implemented particularly with respect to controlling the ability of refugees to access resettlement as a means of protection and as a durable solution and with the impact and implications of these models for the referral partner agencies;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR request that CIC identity and implement a process for dialogue with CCR and CIC's resettlement partners in Canada and abroad as it moves forward with development of effective, fair and accessible models for referral agencies.

  • Res.: 1
    Whereas:
    1. Children make up approximately as much as half of all asylum seekers in the industrialized world;
    2. Refugee and immigrant youth are particularly vulnerable and have a unique set of needs;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Continuously raise the level of awareness of the needs of immigrant and refugee youth through CCR networks and consultations;
    2. Advocate for the rights of immigrant and refugee youth in Canada.
  • Res.: 6
    Whereas:
    1. More than a thousand people are presently awaiting a hearing at the IRB for a repeat claim;
    2. The transitional measures will have the consequence of depriving these claimants of their repeat claim by deeming them ineligible under IRPA;
    3. IRPA bars access to PRRA for repeat claimants who have returned to Canada less than 6 months after their departure;
    4. Many of these repeat claimants returned to Canada more than 3 months but less than 6 months after their departure, and would thus be ruled ineligible for PRRA;
    5. A significant number of repeat claims are determined to be refugees;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and to the Chairperson of the IRB urging them to allow all persons presently awaiting a repeat claim a hearing at the IRB.

     
  • Res.: 11
    Whereas:
    1. The government of Canada has made a commitment to expedite the processing of Sierra Leonean refugees overseas after strongly encouraging Sponsorship Agreement Holders across Canada to get involved in the Sierra Leone special initiative;
    2. The situation in Sierra Leone is still dangerous, unstable and volatile in spite of the presence of a 17,000 member United Nations peacekeeping force and the return of some Sierra Leonean refugees who are still internally displaced. The recent influx of 10,000 Liberian refugees also adds to the instability in Sierra Leone;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR strongly urge the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to impress upon his Department the need to honour the commitment to refugees, family members in Canada and private sponsors to expedite the processing of the refugees' cases and, in particular, not to refuse cases based upon the changing circumstances in Sierra Leone, which are not conducive for return.

     
  • Res.: 16
    Whereas:
    1. There is an increasing number of reports of deficient services in refugee camps such as insufficient food;
    2. These deficiencies have been cited as one of the major factors exposing refugee women to sexual exploitation by those who are charged with distributing food and other humanitarian relief;
    3. In several refugee camps in Africa the World Food Program has cut down the food ration for refugees;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR request the government of Canada to:

    1. Increase its contribution to the UNHCR and to send its contribution in a timely manner;
    2. Provide adequate and appropriate funding to the World Food Program for food aid for refugees.
  • Res.: 4
    Whereas:
    1. The government has recently announced that they would delay the implementation of the RAD;
    2. This announcement is a betrayal of parliament's will as expressed in the IRPA;
    3. The CCR, UNHCR and the Inter American Commission on Human Rights consider an appeal on the merits to be essential for a coherent, consistent and fair refugee determination process;
    4. Next month the government is announcing a "None is Too Many" agreement with the U.S. which would shut our borders to most refugees;
    5. The U.S. systematically detains undocumented refugees and places them with convicted criminals;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Offer its services to coordinate a national campaign to implement the RAD and to oppose the U.S.-Canada "None is Too Many" agreement;
    2. Urge civil society groups to employ all peaceful and creative means necessary so as to ensure effective public education and advocacy on these issues.
  • Res.: 9
    Whereas:
    1. The IRB draft rules provide criteria for the appointment of designated representatives for child refugee claimants which do not include cultural and language awareness and sensitivity to the needs of children;
    2. CIC has no criteria for the appointment of designated representatives;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR call on the IRB to include the criteria of cultural and language awareness and sensitivity to the needs of children, and that CIC adopt the same criteria as the IRB in relation to the appointment of designated representatives.

     
  • Res.: 14
    Whereas:

    There is no consistently applied government policy priorizing refugee processing, the decision being left to individual officers at the posts;

    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and request a consistent application for all posts of the policy priorizing refugees.

     

  • Res.: 2
    Whereas:
    1. Federal government policies and regulations often have differential negative impacts on racialized communities;
    2. There are no existing instruments to measure and remedy the differential impacts;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR call on the federal government to:

    1. Facilitate the establishment of an inter-departmental working group to develop an anti-racist analytical framework in consultation with NGOs representing equity-seeking groups/communities;
    2. Establish a process for implementation, monitoring and reporting back to civil society on an annual basis.
  • Res.: 7
    Whereas:
    1. There is in Zimbabwe a large number of extra-judicial executions, forced disappearances and cases of systematic sexual violence reported by Amnesty International, constituting a situation of massive, flagrant and systematic human rights abuses in international law;
    2. There is a strong concern with the abuse of the "no credible basis" finding in Zimbabwean refugee hearings;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Call upon the government of Canada to maintain its moratorium on removals to Zimbabwe as we have recommended;
    2. Call for an independent study, with input from the CCR, on the abuse of no credible basis findings in Zimbabwean refugee claims.
  • Res.: 12
    Whereas:
    1. Iraqi refugees have been confined to Rafha camp in Saudi Arabia for 12 years, awaiting a durable solution;
    2. UNHCR has requested Canada to participate in the resettlement of these refugees;
    3. Participation in the resettlement effort is essential to the overall resolution of the plight of these refugees, as Saudi Arabia has made a commitment to grant a measure of local integration to those refugees who do not wish to be resettled, if progress is made towards resettlement of the others;
    4. Canada has responded that they will consider participating in a responsibility-sharing effort but has been unable to specify a time-line;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR strongly urge CIC to send a selection mission to Rafha camp with a view to selecting refugees for resettlement by the end of 2002.

     
  • Res.: 17
    Whereas:
    1. Twenty-seven member organizations of CCR responded to a CCR request by providing anecdotal information about problems arising with the use of the Interim Federal Health (IFH) program;
    2. The report developed by CCR was raised with CIC in a conference call at which time CIC did not recognize many of the problems as indicators of systemic weaknesses within the IFH program;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR request CIC to conduct and make public a client service survey of the health service providers delivering and of refugee clients accessing the IFH to assess the systemic, policy and operational barriers and limitations existing for refugees and health service providers in the Interim Federal Health Program.

     
  • Res.: 5
    Whereas:
    1. The Canadian government intends to sign a "None is Too Many" agreement with the USA;
    2. Under IRPA the Canadian government has confirmed its intention of only detaining minors as a last resort;
    3. In the USA, the immigration authorities detain on average 5,000 separated children every year;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR ask for assurances from the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration that no children who are seeking protected person status in Canada – whether separated from or accompanied by parents or legal guardians – be returned to the U.S.A.

     
  • Res.: 10
    Whereas:

    Persons of certain countries of origin such as Pakistan and some African states appear to be detained on the basis of identity for extended periods;

    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR call on CIC to:

    1. Research the length of time it takes those detained on the basis of identity to obtain release;
    2. Report the data by country of origin;
    3. Make public the findings.
  • Res.: 15
    Whereas:
    1. There is documented evidence of corruption in some overseas offices of the UNHCR and NGO partners who implement UNHCR programs;
    2. UNHCR itself has recognized this problem in its Kenya offices, and has taken measures to address the problem, one such measure being the removal of staff accused of corruption;
    3. NGOs too have power over refugees and some have been accused of corruption and exploitation of refugees, particularly women and children in West Africa;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR call on the UNHCR to put in place a structure and a back-up monitoring system that, in effect, will:

    1. Stop existing corruption and prevent future corruption;
    2. Provide a complaint mechanism that is confidential (to protect the complainant);
    3. Require its NGO implementing partners to have a similar structure, monitoring system and complaint mechanism in place.
  • Res.: 7
    Whereas:
    1. The Auditor General of Canada in his report of April 1998 devoted an entire chapter (Chapter 6) to the demographic challenges facing Canada, saying “We are living longer and we are having fewer children. These are indisputable facts;”
    2. The Auditor General has pointed to the “significant impact” of these demographic trends, particularly on the economy and on the long-term financial condition of the government.
    3. The Auditor General has drawn attention to the inadequacy of the information provided by the Government to Parliament and the public about the implications of current demographic trends and their potential impact;
    4. The Government of Canada appears to have taken no overt action to respond to the recommendations of the Auditor General in these matters;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR call on the Government of Canada to:

    1. Tell the people of Canada about the potential impacts that demographics can have, as detailed in, and as recommended by the 1998 report of the Auditor General;
    2. Devise a long-term strategy for increasing immigration as a response to the demographic challenges described by the Auditor General.
  • Res.: 12
    Whereas:
    1. The situation of refugees in Pakistan is increasingly precarious;
    2. Conditions necessary for repatriation as a durable or even physically safe solution will not be established in Afghanistan for some time to come;
    3. The level of instability requires a special level of response from all countries that provide humanitarian support and resettlement options for Afghans externally displaced;
    4. The Canadian Government is in a position to respond to the situation of these persons with concrete actions;
    5. A clear response by the Canadian Government will send a strong positive message about Afghan refugees to the Canadian public;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to:

    1. Provide extra financial and human resources to deal with processing in this crisis situation by use of secondment, voluntary temporary assignment or any other creative means;
    2. Identify rapidly, through the major processing posts, a pool of Afghan refugees, especially unaccompanied women and children, in need of resettlement, and to process cases from this pool immediately;
    3. Immediately clear the backlog of Afghan refugee resettlement cases;
    4. Implement a blended sponsorship program to facilitate more private sponsorships of Afghan refugee cases;
    5. Announce publicly the urgent need for these measures and the Government’s commitment to carry them out.
  • Res.: 17
    Whereas:

    The UNHCR has recently produced a report on the situation of separated refugee children in Canada and has made a series of recommendations to the IRB and to the federal and provincial governments to address the protection needs of these children;

    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR adopt the UNHCR report and recommendations and call on the IRB and the federal and provincial governments to implement these recommendations.

  • Res.: 22
    Whereas:
    1. Following the September 11th tragedy, articles have appeared in mainstream media on the justification of the use of torture under exceptional and emergency conditions;
    2. The use of special drugs (truth serums) is recommended by some enforcement elements against suspected terrorists and this recommendation has been reflected by media;
    3. The Canadian government has reaffirmed its commitment to the Convention against Torture through C-11;
    4. Refugees and other uprooted people are more vulnerable to torture and other cruel, inhumane and degrading treatments and punishments;
    5. The level of public education on the scourge of torture is low and CIC and IRB officials need special training on the subject;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR call on the government of Canada to:

    1. Reaffirm its commitment not to use torture under any emergency condition whatsoever;
    2. Work for the prevention and eradication of torture and the prosecution of torturers at the international level;
    3. Reaffirm its commitments to UN principles of medical ethics and assure that no drugs will be used on prisoners or detainees except for the purposes of healing;
    4. Allocate a budget and work with NGOs and specifically the CCR towards organizing public education programs and special education programs for CIC and IRB officials;
    5. Assure that other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatments and punishments will not be used in Canadian prisons and detention centres;
    6. Closely collaborate with the UN Committee against Torture with the aim of strengthening the Committee and responding to its concerns;
    7. Increase its financial contributions to the UN Voluntary Fund for Victims of Torture.
  • Res.: 27
    Whereas:
    1. There are currently negotiations and policy discussions on adopting common security arrangements with the USA;
    2. Canada has a tradition of supporting international law and fundamental human rights (and this tradition may be abandoned in the current context).
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Oppose the creation of a common security perimeter and policy with the United States;
    2. Re-iterate to the Canadian government our support for respecting the fundamental rights of refugees and migrants in accordance with international law and our international human rights obligations without discrimination;
    3. Ask the Canadian government to fully protect Canadian sovereignty in immigration and refugee matters and ensure access for all refugee claimants to the Canadian refugee determination system.