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CCR Resolutions Database

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  • Torture in Iraq

    Res.: 13
    Whereas:
    1. The news about torture, murders and disappearance of prisoners in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo Bay by American and coalition forces has shocked the conscience of the world and has led to widespread reaction in the USA and elsewhere.
    2. An Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture, dealing with the mandate of the UN Committee against Torture to enter and monitor conditions in places of detention, has been adopted by the UN General Assembly and is ready for accession.
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR write to the Prime Minister of Canada demanding that Canada:

    1. Make a public condemnation of torture in Iraq and Afghanistan by US and coalition forces, and ask for the US administration to:
      a) Adhere to the international legal instruments against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
      b) Train US military personnel and other enforcement official to adhere to these human rights standards.
      c) Allow outside inspection of US-controlled jails, detention centres and other facilities where persons are detained.
      d) Designate an independent ombudsperson to receive complains about torture and other human rights abuses.
    2. Accede to the UN Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and encourage other countries – including and especially the USA – to do the same.

  • Interim Federal Health issues

    Res.: 11
    Whereas:
    1. The problems with the IFH program have been mounting.
    2. The IFH Advisory Committee has become inactive.
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge Medical Services Branch to mobilize the IFH Advisory Committee to develop solutions to: a) registration problems b) the complex claim process c) the slow reimbursement scheme d) inadequate resources for increasing special needs.

  • Dadaab and Kakuma

    Res.: 11
    Whereas:
    1. There are more than 120,000 refugees in the Dadaab camps and 86,000 in Kakuma refugee camp from several different African countries who have been resident there for up to 14 years;
    2. Peace processes are underway in the region, which have potential implications to refugees such as possible reduction of services and closure of camps;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Urge the UNHCR to ensure that conducive conditions exist before beginning any voluntary repatriation of refugees from the camps.
    2. Urge the UNHCR to continue to promote resettlement as a durable solution for these refugees.
    3. Encourage the Canadian government to continue to actively assist the UNHCR in promoting resettlement as a durable solution for these vulnerable populations;
    4. Encourage the Canadian government to increase funding to the UNHCR and WFP programs and services in the camps.

  • Refugee resettlement targets

    Res.: 14
    Whereas:
    1. CCR is celebrating 25 years of private sponsorship in Canada;
    2. Canada's resettlement targets, including for private sponsorship, have largely remained unchanged for the past 10 years, even though overall immigration targets have increased;
    3. An increase in overall resettlement targets reflects a commitment to refugee resettlement and may lead to an increase in resource allocation to resettlement processing.
    4. CCR has consistently maintained the three principles of private sponsorship; partnership, additionality and naming;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Urge the Canadian Government to set resettlement targets at a minimum of 8% of overall immigration targets, while respecting the private sponsorship principle of additionality;
    2. Work together with the SAH representatives to the NGO-Government Committee on the Private Sponsorship of Refugees to negotiate annual private sponsorship targets with CIC.

  • Statelessness

    Res.: 12
    Whereas:
    1. Stateless people are in a vulnerable situation because they have no protection from a state;
    2. IRPA does not specify stateless persons as a group needing protection or eligible for landing on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Strongly urge the Minister to amend IRPA to include statelessness as a ground for protection (both in Canada and for resettlement).
    2. In the alternative, use the authority of subsection 25(1) to establish "protection of stateless persons" as a public policy category for permanent residence and amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations to include statelessness as a ground for resettlement to Canada.
    3. As an interim measure urge CIC to amend the Immigration Manual, Chapter IP5, to include statelessness as a factor for landing in H&C applications. ID requirements and establishment requirements should be waived in view of the special hardships faced by stateless persons.

  • Liberian refugees

    Res.: 10
    Whereas:
    1. Refugees from Liberia have continued to flee to Tabour Camp in Ivory Coast and to Buduburam Camp in Ghana;
    2. Canadians from Liberia are in regular communication with these refugees;
    3. There is presently no hope for early repatriation or local integration;
    4. The camps are seriously ill-equipped to protect their residents;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Call on the Government of Canada to urge the UNHCR to provide humanitarian aid adequate for the safety, health and maintenance of these vulnerable populations.
    2. Urge Citizenship and Immigration Canada to expedite early resettlement of persons in urgent need of resettlement.

  • Ministerial relief

    Res.: 13
    Whereas:
    1. A significant number of refugees applying for private sponsorship are found to be inadmissible pursuant to s. 34(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act;
    2. These refugees are entitled to request Ministerial Relief, and an exemption from inadmissibility, pursuant to s. 34(2) of IRPA, on the grounds that it would not be detrimental to Canada's national interest to admit them to Canada;
    3. The CIC policy manuals advise visa officers to consider Ministerial Relief only in cases where it is specifically requested by refugees;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Urge the Canadian Government to require that visa officers advise refugees and other applicants for permanent residence of the option to apply for Ministerial Relief pursuant to s. 34(2) of IRPA in cases where they are considering rejection of their case pursuant to s. 34(1).
    2. Write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration about the significance of Ministerial Relief and ask the Minister to act more generously in issuing Ministerial Relief.

  • Assistance to refugees

    Res.: 7
    Whereas:
    1. The CCR is concerned globally with the plight of refugees and refugee welfare in their area or place of refuge;
    2. Financial assistance provided by CIDA multilaterally to UN agencies and other coordinating bodies does not always result in improving the actual provision of material assistance (food, water, shelter, non-food items, etc.) to refugees;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge CIDA to:

    1. In addition to providing funding to UN agencies, continue to provide humanitarian funding directly to non-governmental implementing organizations providing material assistance directly to refugees;
    2. Remain aware of the effectiveness and positive impact of aid provided to refugees and displaced persons;
    3. Increase the proportion of Official Development Assistance (ODA) directed to humanitarian relief and development assistance going to refugee situations and protracted camp situations.

  • Principles for return of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in India

    Res.: 10
    Whereas:
    1. The Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) have agreed on a cessation of hostilities and began peace negotiations to end almost two decades of civil war;
    2. Sri Lankan Tamil refugees living in refugee camps in India met in February 2003 to discuss the peace process and agree on principles for their possible return home;
    3. The refugees have come out with a Memorandum of Concern stating that their return home should be "safe, orderly and as a consequence of a peace process that is transparent, democratic and inclusive with a visible commitment to protecting the rights of all Ceylon's citizens and the restoration of their social and material well-being";
    4. The refugees have asked for international support of their principles of return;
    5. The principles of return as outlined in the Nallayan Declaration Memorandum of Concern are in line with CCR concerns that refugees have a say in decisions impacting on their lives;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Endorse the Sri Lankan Tamil Refugees Memorandum of Concern outlining principles on return;
    2. Send a copy of the Memorandum of Concern to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, asking that Canada encourage the Sri Lankan Government to take steps to ensure that the refugees' concerns (as outlined in the memorandum of concern) are addressed in the peace process;
    3. Send a copy of the Memorandum of Concern to the Minister for International Cooperation, asking that her department (CIDA) provide financial support to demining and rehabilitation/reconstruction efforts in Sri Lanka;
    4. Ask the Government of Canada to encourage UNHCR to take steps to ensure that the refugees' concerns (as outlined in the memorandum of concern) are addressed in discussions, plans and programs on the possible voluntary return of the refugees home.

  • Iraq

    Res.: 8
    Whereas:

    The on-going humanitarian and human insecurity problems continue to plague Iraqis displaced inside or outside the country;

    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Urge CIC to consider as a basis for a refugee claim the ongoing insecurity in the country when assessing applications for resettlement from Iraqis and process them fully;
    2. Raise with the Canadian government the need for:
      a)the immediate and ongoing clearing of unexploded ordinances including cluster bombs and landmines;
      b)a gendered understanding of the current humanitarian crisis in Iraq, that humanitarian and relief projects be particularly nuanced to address the needs of women and girls in war-torn Iraq, and that reconstruction projects in Iraq promote women in central and vital roles in the re-building of the institutions of civil and political life of the country.

  • Refugee women at risk

    Res.: 6
    Whereas:

    CCR Resolution 8, Nov. 1993 called for physical protection of refugee women in Africa and Resolution 17, June 1994 called for women at risk to have interviews waived;

    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Urge the Government of Canada to assign more officers to African visa posts, particularly Accra, Abidjan and Nairobi, with a mandate to process women at risk refugee files, and to ensure expedited processing by waiving interviews where UNHCR records are clear and complete to allow for in-Canada security and medicals where the woman and her dependant children's well-being is in doubt;
    2. Urge UNHCR to send additional resettlement officers to Africa for the identification and selection of women at risk;
    3. Urge CIDA to increase funding for the identification and protection of refugee women at risk and their children;
    4. Urge the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to direct visa officers to comply with their own overseas protection guidelines in processing vulnerable and at risk refugee cases (3 to 6 months).

  • Cost recovery mechanisms for referrals

    Res.: 9
    Whereas:
    1. CCR Resolution 39, June 1994 condemned cost recovery fees for Convention refugees and their dependants and requested that processing fees be eliminated for refugees and CCR Resolution 12, May 1995, called the Right of Landing Fee discriminatory, exclusionary and racist and called for the repeal of the Right of Landing Fee for all newcomers to Canada while recognizing the particular burden the head tax laid on refugees;
    2. CIC is likely to implement a "user pay" cost recovery fee to pay organizations abroad who are contracted to refer and/or process refugees for resettlement to Canada. The cost recovery mechanism will create additional debt burdens for refugees resettled to Canada;
    3. The cost recovery mechanism creates a two-tier system for refugees seeking resettlement because neither sponsors nor UNHCR charge fees to refugees for referral;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Reiterate its condemnation of the charging of application and/or processing fees and oppose the application of any new charges to refugees resettled to Canada, based on the resettlement referral;
    2. Call on CIC to ensure that sufficient funds are available through its own program budget funding to facilitate the applications, referrals and processing of all refugees abroad accepted for permanent residence.

  • Voluntary repatriation to Afghanistan

    Res.: 9
    Whereas:
    1. Voluntary repatriation is one of the durable solutions to the problems of refugees;
    2. According to repatriation guidelines, sustainable living conditions must be ensured before repatriation operations are undertaken;
    3. The current conditions in Afghanistan do not fulfill the required conditions because of security problems, human rights violations and general unrest and instability;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge the Government of Canada to:

    1. Provide adequate support to refugees in refugee camps until such time that the conditions become conducive for voluntary repatriation;
    2. Explore other options such as resettlement of Afghan refugees to Canada and that the visa officers assess claims on individual merit an not presumed country conditions.

  • African refugee source countries

    Res.: 14
    Whereas:
    1. Africa continues to be a source of refugees and international migration as a result of internal conflicts and political instabilities;
    2. The Canadian Government has classified a number of African countries as ‘Source Countries' of refugees;
    3. Refugees from these countries are not benefiting from such classification due to logistical and bureaucratic challenges;
    4. The International Region of CIC has not developed any strategic plan to deal with the protection and resettlement of refugees from African Source Countries;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Recommend that the Canadian Government consult with relevant grassroots community based organizations and concerned individuals in formulating program implementation relating to the protection and resettlement of refugees through the source country program so that valuable resources are utilized appropriately;
    2. Urge the International Region of CIC to assign more resources to the processing of refugee applications out of African Source Countries;
    3. Recommend that a joint ad hoc committee of CIC and concerned agencies of CCR be established to undertake a total review of the Source Country Class Program.

  • Vietnamese refugees in Palawan

    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.

     

  • Referral organizations

    Res.: 10
    Whereas:
    1. The Canadian Government has enacted new regulations for managing access to the refugee resettlement program;
    2. The new provisions require refugees seeking resettlement to obtain a private sponsorship, or a referral from UNHCR or a designated referral organization;
    3. No referral organizations have been designated to date, other than UNHCR, and none is likely be designated before the end of 2003;
    4. Refugee referrals to the refugee resettlement programme will be insufficient to meet the targets for 2003;
    5. There is a limited exception for direct access for refugee referrals in certain geographic regions which the Minister designates;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge the Canadian Government to:

    1. Enhance the ability of UNHCR to refer cases for resettlement until other viable referral mechanisms are put into place;
    2. Make greater use of its authority in S. 150 of IRPR to allow direct access for refugees seeking resettlement.

  • NEPAD and refugees

    Res.: 15
    Whereas:
    1. The causes of refugee flows are persecution as well as human rights violations, civil war, extreme poverty, unfair and unjust global economic relationships, and related factors;
    2. The industrialized countries have expressed commitment to enter a new, meaningful and effective partnership with Africa in the framework of NEPAD;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge the Government of Canada to ensure that refugee issues as well as internally displaced persons and returnees occupy high priority in the implementation of NEPAD.

     

  • Resettlement statistics

    Res.: 8
    Whereas:
    1. In Canada, CIC has engaged a process of revitalizing the private sponsorship of refugees program;
    2. CIC has consistently informed Sponsorship Agreement Holders that there are limited resources for processing applications overseas;
    3. Currently there are applications for over 10,000 individuals and only 2,900 will be processed in this year;
    4. CIC has also given the message that the backlog of private sponsorship applications are due to a high number of cases which do not fit eligibility criteria;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR write to the Director General of the International Region to request a statistical breakdown for the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 and annually thereafter of total private sponsorship undertakings submitted by post by year and total private sponsorship undertakings refused by post by year, and to separate applications and refusals by Groups of Five and Sponsorship Agreement Holder undertakings in order to better understand and address the causes of this backlog.

     

  • Long processing times

    Res.: 13
    Whereas:
    1. The Government, in the context of private refugee sponsorship, claims to be committed to the principle of additionality;
    2. Visa post staffing was drastically cut in the mid 90s;
    3. The overseas processing time for refugees is disgracefully long. (Departmental informants tell us that currently, from the time the completed IMM8s are received at the visa post until the interview takes place is 21 months in Nairobi and 36 months in Damascus.)
    4. The overseas delays make it increasingly difficult to sustain the interest of sponsors in the private sponsorship program;
    5. The Government is committed to move toward annual immigration targets of 1% of the population of Canada;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR repeatedly challenge the Government, the Minister and senior government officials directly, and through the media, to increase visa post staffing so refugees can be processed expeditiously and in greater numbers.

     

  • Tibetans in India and Nepal

    Res.: 11
    Whereas:
    1. Since 1985 many Tibetans have been living in India and Nepal without prospects of local integration;
    2. Today the deteriorating political situation in India and Nepal has further placed these refugees in jeopardy;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR ask CIC to:

    1. Consider the precarious security situations of Tibetans in certain countries of asylum, in particular those in India and Nepal, and to process applications for resettlement to Canada through both the government assisted and the private sponsorship of refugees programs as expeditiously as possible;
    2. Expedite landing and family reunification of Tibetans by accepting their identity documents issued by the Tibetan government in exile.

  • Priorizing Refugee Processing

    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.

     

  • Canadian Processing out of Rafha Camp

    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.

     

  • Interim Federal Health Program

    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.

     

  • Systematic Prevention of Corruption Overseas

    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.

  • Guatemala

    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.