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CCR Resolutions Database
- Res.: 14Whereas:
- Detention is a recourse of last resort;
- Detention of minors must be an exceptional measure;
- The best interests of the child must be taken into consideration by the government and its tribunals;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR recommend that, when a person who alleges to be a minor is detained for reasons of identity, they must be presumed to be a minor, until otherwise established.
- Res.: 2Whereas:
the Ogoni people of the Niger Delta of Nigeria, in the number of about 1,000 persons, have been living in Kpomasse refugee camp in Benin for a period of approximately 10 years;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR advocate on behalf of the Ogoni refugee population in Benin for a resolution of their situation, including potential resettlement.
- Res.: 7Whereas:
- There are 3,400 Iranian dissidents in Iraq at Camp Ashraf who were granted protected persons status under the Fourth Geneva Convention by the Multinational Forces in Iraq. In December 2008 protection of the Camp was handed over to the Government of Iraq;
- In January 2009, Iraqi National Security Adviser Mowaffak al Rubaie threatened to make life “intolerable” for the residents of Camp Ashraf in order to spur them to leave Iraq;
- Among Al Rubaie’s threats was the forcible relocation of the residents from the Camp, where they have lived for more that two decades and constructed a fully developed town, to an empty desert near the Saudi Arabia border;
- Both Amnesty International (AI Index: MDE 14/012/2009, 20 April 2009) and the European Parliament (resolution April 24, 2009) have protested Al Rubaie’s threat of intolerable treatment;
- The recent introduction of a large Iraqi police force into Camp Ashraf despite the presence of both the Iraqi and US military at the Camp has alarmed the international community;
- George Okoth-Obbo, Director of International Protection, UNHCR, in March 2007 asked the Government of Iraq to refrain from any action that could endanger the life or security of the residents of Camp Ashraf such as their forcible displacement inside Iraq;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR:
- Call on the Government of Canada to oppose forcible relocation or any other mistreatment of the residents of Camp Ashraf in violation of international standards, and to assert that the protection and humane treatment of the residents of Camp Ashraf is a matter of international concern which justifies monitoring by the Multinational Forces while they remain in Iraq and afterwards by the international community once the Multinational Forces leave.
- Ask the UNHCR to reiterate its 2007 statement about forcible displacement in light of the current situation.
- Res.: 12Whereas:
- Concurrent processing of family members of persons accepted on H&C grounds in Canada was abolished in 2004;
- This has resulted in a significant delay in family reunification for persons accepted on H&C grounds;
- Many of these people have compelling humanitarian and compassionate considerations and/or were wrongly refused refugee status;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR recommend an amendment of the Regulations to restore provision for concurrent processing of family members of persons accepted on H&C grounds.
- Res.: 5Whereas:
- A humanitarian catastrophe has been unfolding in Sri Lanka since early this year;
- More than 300,000 Tamils displaced in the North and East of Sri Lanka are trapped in a deteriorating humanitarian situation and Tamils in other parts of Sri Lanka are vulnerable to harassment, humiliation and threat of violence;
- The largest Tamil diaspora community lives in Canada;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR call on the Government of Canada to act forcefully to promote human rights in Sri Lanka, support humanitarian aid, call for the establishment of an international commission on Sri Lanka to investigate and prosecute any allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, and to support efforts to work towards a long-term political solution to redress the systemic violations of the human rights of Tamils in Sri Lanka.
- Res.: 10Whereas:
- There are a large number of persons without status who have submitted different forms of requests to regularize their situation;
- The main way to ask for a decision on humanitarian grounds or other grounds while a person is underground and the subject of an arrest warrant is to present themselves to the Canadian authorities;
- People without status who present themselves to the Canadian authorities in order to regularize their status are often detained;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR advocate with the Minister of Public Safety, CBSA, and the Immigration and Refugee Board that persons presenting themselves voluntarily for regularization should benefit from a favourable presumption that they do not normally represent a flight risk and that they therefore should not be detained.
- Res.: 3Whereas:
- A humanitarian catastrophe has been unfolding in Sri Lanka since early this year;
- More than 300,000 Tamils displaced in the North and East of Sri Lanka are trapped in a deteriorating humanitarian situation and Tamils in other parts of Sri Lanka are vulnerable to harassment, humiliation and threat of violence;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR call on the Government of Canada to:
- Facilitate an expedited process to reunify families with relatives at risk in Sri Lanka;
- Place a temporary moratorium on removals to Sri Lanka;
- Fast-track current and future sponsorship applications from Sri Lanka.
- Res.: 8Whereas:
- The protection of Canadian citizens overseas, including Mr. Abousfian Abdelrazik who is stuck in Sudan, is an essential component of citizenship rights;
- The denial of a Canadian passport to Mr. Abdelrazik may set a negative precedent of two-tier citizenship and leave citizens with a refugee background in orbit;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR urge the Canadian government to protect Canadian citizens overseas against torture and cruel and unusual treatment and provide them with the right to return with no discrimination whatsoever.
- Res.: 13Whereas:
- Section 60 of IRPA says that detention of children should be a measure of last resort;
- Regulation 249 obliges the consideration of alternatives to detention where children are concerned;
- The Convention on the Rights of the Child obliges Canada to give primary consideration to the best interests of the child;
- Children are held in detention centres in Canada either because they are detained or because they are accompanying their detained guardians;
- CBSA and IRB do not give primary consideration to best interests of the child in their decision-making with regards to detention of children;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR demand that:
- CBSA not detain children by considering all possible alternatives;
- IRB and CBSA respect their obligations under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and give primary consideration to the best interests of the child when making decisions on detention of children or of adult guardians of children, which affects their children.
- Res.: 1Therefore be it resolved:
That the CCR adopt the Anti-Oppression Policy.
- Res.: 6Whereas:
- The right to access asylum in Canada is a legal international obligation under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees;
- Resettlement of refugees from abroad, although not an obligation under the Convention, is a demonstration of Canada’s responsibility sharing and commitment to refugees;
- The global trend of States to limiting access to asylum is causing the shrinkage of asylum space as the needs increase,
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR call on the government of Canada to:
- Reiterate and increase its commitment to continue to resettle refugees from abroad, and at the same time ensure that refugee resettlement numbers overall are not conditional on the number of persons accepted as refugees in Canada;
- Comply with its obligations under the Convention to ensure access to fair and efficient status determination for all persons seeking asylum at the Canadian borders and in Canada regardless of the numbers admitted under its resettlement from abroad program.
- Res.: 11Whereas:
- Family Class applicants can appeal a negative visa officer’s decision to the Immigration Appeal Division, including on humanitarian and compassionate grounds;
- Dependants of protected persons being processed concurrently can only appeal a visa officer’s decision by way of judicial review in the Federal Court;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR recommend an amendment to the Act and Regulations to permit protected persons to appeal decisions on family reunification to the Immigration Appeal Division of the IRB on all issues of fact and law, and on all the circumstances of the case including humanitarian and compassionate considerations.
- Res.: 4Whereas:
- A humanitarian catastrophe has been unfolding in Sri Lanka since early this year;
- More than 300,000 Tamils displaced in the North and East of Sri Lanka are trapped in a deteriorating humanitarian situation and Tamils in other parts of Sri Lanka are vulnerable to harassment, humiliation and threat of violence;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR call on the UNHCR to establish an international mission to:
- Conduct an assessment of current conditions confronting civilians in the war-affected regions and implement appropriate measures to ensure their immediate safety and security;
- Assess and address the immediate risk and resettlement needs of displaced persons in the zone, and in the IDP camps;
- Assess and address the long-term resettlement and rehabilitation needs of individuals and communities in the war-affected regions.
- Res.: 5Whereas:
- The Private Sponsorship of Refugees (PSR) program was established on the principle of additionality;
- In November 2006, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration increased the upper limit of the PSR target to 4,500 persons in order to allow for flexibility for sponsors to respond to visa office referred cases without decreasing the number of sponsor referred cases processed;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR call for visa office referred cases to be processed in addition to the established targets of both GARs and PSRs at all visa posts.
- Res.: 3Whereas:
- Canada is signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
- The Final Report of the Standing Senate Committee On Human Rights, published in April 2007, concluded that “...one of its primary proposals should be the establishment of a children’s Commissioner at the federal level in Canada...” (p. 202).
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR promote the establishment of a children’s commissioner at the federal level, responsible for, among others, the welfare of immigrant and refugee children.
- Res.: 8Whereas:
- The CCR adopted a resolution in November 1994 in regard to education and guidelines on sexual orientation for the IRB;
- The 1994 resolution does not address specific training with the IRB in regard to trans communities, nor does it recognize education and training for CIC and CBSA employees;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR:
- Ensure from now on that all CCR policies regarding sexual orientation reflect the diverse lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, transexual, queer, questioning and intersex communities;
- Advocate with the IRB, CIC and CBSA to include education and training on trans specific, transphobia and homophobia issues.
- Res.: 1Whereas:
- Canada is a party to the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons;
- The Protocol includes assistance to and protection of trafficked persons;
- The federal government has a responsibility for immigration and settlement;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR urge the government of Canada to initiate a national strategy for the coordination and implementation of best practices in services to persons trafficked into and within Canada, including all federally funded settlement services.
Resolution also approved by Inland Protection
- Res.: 6Whereas:
- The Colombian conflict has not lessened during the last year;
- Different international organizations have pointed to the continuation of political persecution and human rights violations;
- Displacement levels are higher than ever before;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR request the Canadian Government to maintain the current resettlement levels for Colombian refugees through the Source Country Class.
- Res.: 4Whereas:
- Canada is signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child;
- Timely family reunification and a full and timely assessment of a child’s best interest are fundamental elements of Canada’s obligations under the said Convention;
- In February 2005, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration implemented a program to reduce the processing times of sponsorships of spouses living abroad and to prevent, where possible, the separation of spouses in Canada;
- A child’s interests and rights are of equal or greater concern;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR advocate in favour of a policy providing that:
- A humanitarian and compassionate application involving the best interests of any child facing removal, or whose parents face removal, receive a full and proper assessment prior to potential removal from Canada;
- Applications for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds, made either inland or abroad, that invoke the best interests of a child living abroad be processed in priority; an accelerated priority should be given to those applications which invoke risk concerns to the child living abroad.
- Res.: 2Whereas:
- Canada is a party to the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime and its Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons;
- The Protocol includes an internationally agreed definition of trafficking in persons;
- The definition in existing Canadian law relating to the offence of trafficking in persons (in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and in the Criminal Code) is not as broad as the internationally agreed definition;
- More particularly, the definition of “exploitation” in the Criminal Code requires that the trafficked person be afraid for their safety or the safety of someone known to them;
- Trafficked persons may not feel or demonstrate subjective fear as required by the Criminal Code;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR:
- Formally adopt the international definition of trafficking in persons from the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons;
- Urge the government of Canada to meet its obligations under the Protocol by ensuring that its law and procedures fully reflect the internationally agreed definition;
- Urge the government of Canada, in particular, to amend the Criminal Code to remove the requirement of subjective fear on the part of the trafficked person as a proxy for the motivation of the trafficker.
- Res.: 7Whereas:
- There has been no functioning central government and/or other public institutions to protect vulnerable groups and/or prevent human rights abuses in Somalia since 1991;
- In the past year, humanitarian workers and human rights defenders have been the victims of an increased number of targeted killings on the part of both the Transitional Federal Government and armed militia groups;
- Humanitarian workers, human rights defenders and civilians who are not protected are forced to flee both inside and outside their country in order to find protection;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR request that the Canadian government:
- Where possible provide support to UN institutions, government and non-government agencies in Somalia and in the surrounding countries which aim to protect and support humanitarian workers, human rights defenders and civilians in Somalia;
- Respond more effectively to the resettlement needs of Somali refugees and their families who are displaced in countries around the world.
- Res.: 2Whereas:
- CIC is considering implementing a new “Canadian Experience” Class;
- CIC has indicated that this proposed new class will be restricted to highly skilled workers;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR:
- Express to CIC that this class be open to all applicants regardless of skill level.
- Express to the Quebec government that it should to give temporary foreign workers access to permanent residence class without regard to skill levels.
- Formally adopt the position paper prepared for the consultation with CIC on the proposed class as its formal position on the class.
- Res.: 7Whereas:
- The Canadian government has proceeded with extradition requests against Protected Persons, putting them at risk of return to the country where they have a well-founded fear of persecution;
- In some cases the extradition request seems to be based on evidence that may be motivated by racism;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR ask the Government of Canada to give full respect to obligations under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the Convention Against Torture, and not to proceed with extradition requests against Protected Persons unless status has been vacated or extradition would be justified under the Conventions.
- Res.: 5Whereas:
- Resettled refugees and dependants abroad of protected persons are required to repay the costs of overseas medical exams, IOM processing charges, and travel costs;
- Under IRPA, Canada has made a commitment to resettle refugees who are most in need of protection, many of whom have multiple barriers to their integration;
- Repayment of these loans by single mothers, youth, and families further marginalizes and impoverishes these groups, diminishing their capacity to integrate;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR call upon the Governments of Canada and Quebec to absorb the costs of the transportation and overseas medical expenses for resettled refugees and dependants abroad of protected persons, without reducing the total number of resettled refugees.
- Res.: 3Whereas:
- Children’s entitlement to education, protective services, and other supports is determined by age;
- Dates of birth on CIC issued documentation are frequently erroneous;
- The process for changing such information is cumbersome, onerous, and lengthy, taking time that child do not have;
- There are few security implications for altering birth dates for minors;
Therefore be it resolved:That the CCR request CIC to review the process for changing data on ID documents, with a view to making the process much faster and less difficult for children.
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