CCR Resolutions Database

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  • Slow processing times

    Res.: 10
    Whereas:
    1. There is a long, 2-3 year backlog of privately sponsored refugee applications.
    2. CCR adopted Res. 13, May 02 on long processing times.
    3. All government-assisted refugees (GARs) are now referred by the UNHCR (other than in source countries) and CCR has repeatedly been told that there are limited visa office resources.
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge CIC to simplify the overseas refugee determination process, and to eliminate the perennial backlog by not re-interviewing UNHCR referred GARs, and through temporary staff re-deployments.

  • Essential principles

    Res.: 15
    Whereas:
    1. Essential principles of access to refugee protection, due process, and fundamental justice are increasingly under attack in Canada and in other refugee-receiving countries.
    2. The government has indicated that it intends to reform the refugee determination process in Canada.
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That:

    1. The draft Essential Principles, as amended by the Working Group on Inland Protection, be approved in principle as the present position of the CCR.
    2. The Executive of the CCR be empowered to revise and amend the draft Essential Principles, taking into account feedback from the membership, insofar as such revisions and amendments are in accord with the principles and policies of the CCR.
    3. The CCR publicize the Essential Principles and encourage its members to do likewise.

  • Continued work on trafficking

    Res.: 4
    Whereas:
    1. CCR passed Resolution 24 in December 2001 and subsequently has held regional workshops and a national conference to explore the issues domestically.
    2. The Conference identified data collection, education and awareness-raising as key priorities.
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Urge Canadian Heritage/Status of Women Canada to support the implementation and the recommendations from the National Conference on Trafficked Women and Children.
    2. Urge to the Federal Inter-Departmental Working Group to include CCR in the discussions on trafficked persons.

  • Work permits

    Res.: 9
    Whereas:
    1. Canada issued over 87,000 temporary work permits last year;
    2. People living on temporary work permits are often in precarious and unstable situations;
    3. Many people living on work permits will eventually become landed in Canada;
    4. People living on temporary work permits are all contributing community members and paying taxes;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Urge CIC to expand eligibility to settlement services to those living on work permits.
    2. Undertake to examine the issues of, needs of and work being done with people living on temporary work permits.

  • 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.

  • Trafficking in persons - access to legal status

    Res.: 19
    Whereas:
    1. Canada is a party to the Palermo Protocol;
    2. CCR passed Resolution 24 in December 2001 and subsequently has held regional workshops and a national conference to explore the issues domestically.
    3. It was identified that a serious barrier exists for trafficked persons, in particular women and children, seeking assistance due to lack of access to legal status in Canada;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Call on the Government of Canada to expand the definition of protected persons to include trafficked persons.
    2. Call on the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to urgently develop a regulatory class.
    3. Call on CIC to give trafficked persons special consideration under H&C, and to accompany this with a regulatory stay.
    4. Insist that these measures not be tied to providing testimony and not be punitive.
    5. Call on CIC to give trafficked persons access to Interim Federal Health (IFH) benefits, work permits and legal aid.
    6. Call on the IRB to address the special circumstances of trafficked persons in the gender guidelines.
    7. Call on the federal and provincial governments to ensure that separated children have guardians assigned to them.

  • Processing fees

    Res.: 24
    Whereas:
    1. All protected persons, including children, applying as principal applicants for permanent residents must pay the $550 processing fee within180 days;
    2. This $550 fee is a significant and sometimes insurmountable barrier for many protected persons;
    3. In 1994 the CCR adopted a resolution condemning all cost-recovery fees for landing applications for refugees and their dependants;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR ask that the regulations be amended to waive the processing fee for all protected persons in Canada, consistent with the waiver of this fee for overseas protected persons.

  • Best interests of the child and deportation of a parent

    Res.: 29
    Whereas:
    1. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has noted with concern in its recent report on Canada that the "best interests" principle as a primary consideration in all decisions affecting children is not being observed by administrative and judicial authorities in many areas, including in decisions on deportation;
    2. The CCR adopted a resolution in November 2002 calling for guidelines on the best interests of the child;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR call upon the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to develop guidelines for his officers to ensure that the best interests of children affected by a deportation decision are given "primary consideration" as required by the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and that, for greater certainty, on public policy grounds, there is a presumption that deportation of the parent of a minor child in Canada would not be in the child's best interest.

  • Youth involvement

    Res.: 2
    Whereas:
    1. Youth comprise a significant and often overlooked portion of the population.
    2. Youth are the leaders of tomorrow;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR encourage the involvement and participation of youth at every CCR consultation by designating a local youth organizing committee and furthermore that the CCR support youth participation.

  • Double/triple reporting - ARS and ICAMS

    Res.: 7
    Whereas:
    1. The government of Canada made a commitment to Canadians for efficient program management in the document "Results for Canadians";
    2. The government of Canada made a commitment to the Voluntary Sector for rational reporting systems in the Voluntary Sector Accord and its Code of Good Practice on Funding;
    3. LINC providers in Ontario are being forced into a triple reporting structure because CIC's two computer systems, the regional ARS and the national iCAMS, are incompatible and unreliable;
    4. ISAP providers in Ontario are being forced into double reporting because NHQ and Ontario Region do not have the same reporting requirements;
    5. Both LINC and ISAP providers are forced to input large amounts of client data into systems with no capacity to assist program management;
    6. CIC provides no realistic support for this administrative burden;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That CCR write to Treasury Board and CIC urging them to:

    1. Stop the implementation of iCAMS until the issues between CIC national and CIC region have been resolved.
    2. Review the iCAMS system in light of the new Voluntary Sector agreement to ensure that it conforms with the Code of Good Practices on Funding.
    3. Take into consideration CCR's previous resolutions from May 2001(Res. 1), Dec. 2000 (Res. 16) and May 1999 (Res. 4).

  • 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.

  • Bonds required for refugee claimants in Toronto and elsewhere

    Res.: 17
    Whereas:
    1. The majority of refugee claimants in detention in Toronto and elsewhere are required to pay a bond to be released;
    2. Most refugee claimants do not have friends or relatives to pay the bond;
    3. The bail program in Toronto is very slow and does not accept all claimants.
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR ask CIC and the IRB to release refugee claimants who satisfy their identity requirements, without a bond.

  • Change of venue

    Res.: 22
    Whereas:
    1. The Montreal Immigration and Refugee Board has been routinely refusing to grant any change of venue to refugee claimants despite proof of hardship;
    2. The refusals of requests for changes of venue have caused hardships for refugee claimants;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Call on the Immigration and Refugee Board to ensure that in all of its regions a request for change of venue not be rejected where a claimant can show that hardship would result from such a rejection.
    2. Call on the IRB and CIC to allow persons to choose their place of hearing where hardship would result from a refusal to grant this choice.

  • Refugee claims by children and the Hague convention

    Res.: 27
    Whereas:

    Recent family court decisions in B.C. and Ontario have provided that a child who comes under the jurisdiction of the Hague Convention and who is a refugee claimant in Canada could be returned to the country where she fears persecution prior to a determination of the refugee claim;

    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR work with the UNHCR and with the UN committee that monitors the Hague Convention and with the Departments of Justice of the provinces which are parties to the Hague Convention to ensure that these two international covenants are applied in a manner that does not interfere with a child's right to have a refugee claim determined and not to be refouled to a country where she has a well-founded fear of persecution.

  • Client code of service rights

    Res.: 5
    Whereas:

    A CCR resolution in May 2003 supported the development of a Client Code of Rights to inform clients of their rights and outline a complaint process;

    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR endorse the following Client Code of Service Rights and encourage its use by CCR member organizations:

    1. You have the right to receive services in a trusting, respectful and supportive environment free of any form of discrimination or harassment.
    2. You have the right of privacy and confidentiality and to disclose only what you believe is necessary at any given time.
    3. Staff limits of confidentiality include: the requirement to report incidents of child abuse, to comply with a court ordered subpoena and to prevent harm.
    4. The file is the property of [Agency name] and you have the right to review it and make comments if you disagree with the contents of the file.
    5. You make decisions about your needs and goals.
    6. You have the right to refuse services at any time or to request service from an alternate person.
    7. You have the right to receive accurate, complete and timely information.
    8. You have the right to a safe, fair and transparent complaint process when you feel that your rights have been violated.

  • 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.

  • Access to counsel for immigration detainees

    Res.: 15
    Whereas:

    The increasing use of detention by CIC in provincial jails has resulted in the transfer of immigration detainees to remote areas, where they are effectively denied the right to counsel and cannot even contact counsel due to the requirement to communicate via collect calls from these jails;

    Therefore be it resolved:

    That CCR call upon the federal and provincial governments to establish procedures to ensure effective access to counsel for all immigration detainees, including free telephone access and face to face communication with counsel.

  • Trafficking in women and children - urgent protection

    Res.: 20
    Whereas:
    1. The CCR passed Resolution 24 in December 2001 and subsequently has held regional workshops and a national conference to explore the issues domestically;
    2. The Conference identified urgent protection for trafficked women and children as a key priority;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Request CIC to develop an immediate protection mechanism leading to permanent residence in Canada to protect trafficked women and children and that the necessary resources and support structures be put in place to sustain the program.
    2. Urge that the Urgent Protection Program be expanded to include trafficked persons and that their immediate family grouping be kept intact since family members left behind may be at risk.

  • Protection of Canadian citizens overseas

    Res.: 25
    Whereas:
    1. There is disturbing news of attacks against the fundamental rights of Canadian citizens overseas;
    2. Canadian citizens overseas have experienced severe torture (the cases of Mr Arar and Mr Sampson) and even death under torture (the case of Ms Zahra Kazemi);
    3. The US authorities have returned a naturalized Canadian citizen to his country of origin where he was interrogated and tortured;
    4. There are shocking reports about inadequate support from the Canadian government to Canadians detained overseas and even, in the case of Arar, indications of collaboration between the RCMP and CSIS on the one hand and the US and Syrian authorities on the other;
    5. Visible minorities and Canadian citizens with refugee backgrounds are the main victims of such abhorrent practices;
    6. Survivors have demanded a full public inquiry into their tragic experiences;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Ask the Government of Canada to accept requests from survivors or the families of victims for a full independent public inquiry into their cases and the conditions surrounding their arrest, removal to torture and the role of the Canadian officials.
    2. Urge the US government to make a similar public inquiry into the cases of Canadian citizens returned to torture.
    3. Request that the Canadian public inquiry have the utmost transparency with the aim of shedding light on the role of Canadian officials in protecting Canadian citizens and verifying the methods of torture used against our fellow-citizens overseas and on the role of other governments in subjecting Canadians to torture or other cruel and unusual treatment.
    4. Promote Canada's working towards the non-derogable right of every human person not to be sent to torture.
    5. Urge that, even in extreme cases of security suspicion, Canadian citizens overseas be returned to Canada for further investigation and possible prosecution rather than sent to torture.
    6. Appeal to the Canadian government to play an effective role in rehabilitation, redress and compensation in the cases of Canadian citizens who have been tortured overseas.
    7. Petition the Government of Canada to take all necessary steps to maintain Canadian global leadership in the exposure, prevention and eradication of torture and the need for its absolute prohibition.
    8. Ask the Government of Canada to take immediate diplomatic, economic and political action against governments that have tortured and will torture Canadian citizens or send them to torture.
    9. Solicit the Government of Canada to use regional and intergovernmental agencies, where possible, such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the UN Committee Against Torture and the UN Committee on Human Rights to object to the treatment of Canadian citizens overseas.
    10. Encourage the Canadian Government to take immediate action to intervene in the cases of all Canadians who are languishing in overseas jails and are subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment or punishment.

  • Children and access to education

    Res.: 30
    Whereas:
    1. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has noted with concern in its recent report on Canada that children are being excluded from schools in Canada because of their lack of immigration status;
    2. It is the policy of the CCR that all minor children residing in Canada have the right to attend school regardless of their immigration status;
    3. Education of children is a matter of the exclusive jurisdiction of the provincial governments under the Canadian constitution;
    4. The exception set out in section 30(2) of IRPA has the effect, due to its ambiguity, of excluding from school many children who are not visitors;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR:

    1. Urge the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to amend section 30(2) omitting the exception.
    2. Contact all the provincial Ministers of Education and urge them to ensure that all minor children are admitted to schools in Canada free of charge without regard to their immigration status.
    3. Work with local groups such as the Education Rights Task Force in Ontario to develop strategies to ensure that all minor children have free access to education everywhere in Canada regardless of their immigration status.

  • Threat of open tendering

    Res.: 3
    Whereas:
    1. The province of BC is preparing a system of 'Open Tendering' for settlement services, potentially contracting private sector interests to deliver core settlement services to immigrants for profit.
    2. CIC has intentionally developed an internationally unique infrastructure of community-based immigrant settlement organizations across all provinces and territories;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR express to CIC-NHQ (Integration), CIC BC Region and the BC Ministry of Community, Aboriginal and Women's Services concerns about the threat posed to service quality, accessibility, professionalism and community connectedness by 'Open tendering' and the potential transfer of settlement services away from the current network of community-based agencies.

  • Settlement funding allocation

    Res.: 8
    Whereas:
    1. The need for language training increases in communities affected by secondary migration;
    2. The new funding allocation model does not address the immediate training needs of newcomers now living in affected communities;
    3. These communities have long waiting lists for LINC classes;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR urge CIC to:

    1. Increase the overall amount of money available for immigrant services.
    2. Include a consideration of secondary migration in the calculation of the funding allocation formula.

  • 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.

  • Statelessness statistics

    Res.: 18
    Whereas:
    1. IRPA is silent on the issue of statelessness which increases the vulnerability of stateless people;
    2. Current data collection systems of the government are inconsistent and ad hoc on statistics relating to statelessness;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR request that CIC and the IRB review their data management and reporting systems to ensure the accurate and timely collection and reporting of statistics relating to statelessness, in particular:

    • refugee status determination hearings when statelessness was a factor (numbers, country of residence)
    • H&C applications of stateless cases (numbers accepted, numbers rejected, countries of habitual residence)
    • detention of stateless persons (length of detention, reason for detention, country of habitual residence, place of detention, age, gender)
    • removals of stateless persons (including country of habitual residence, age, gender, country removed to).
    • resettlement of stateless persons.

  • Guidelines for conduct of hearings

    Res.: 23
    Whereas:
    1. The IRB has implemented new guidelines related to the conduct of hearings;
    2. Many of the provisions contained in these guidelines will result in a denial of refugee claimants' right to be heard and right to counsel;
    3. The IRB has implemented these guidelines in a clear attempt to increase the efficiency of the Board without consideration of the negative impact these guidelines will have on claimants' ability to get a fair hearing;
    4. The CCR has previously passed a resolution (15, Nov. 1998) on video-conferencing of refugee hearings;
    Therefore be it resolved:

    That the CCR call upon the IRB to:

    1. Withdraw the requirement that the Refugee Protection Officer or Member examine a claimant prior to the claimant's counsel.
    2. Withdraw the ability of the IRB to schedule hearings without regard to counsel's calendars.
    3. Direct Members not to impose a video-conferencing hearing on a claimant in the face of a claimant's objection.
    4. Amend the guidelines to delete the direction to Board members to restrict the length and content of a claimant’s counsel’s submissions.
    5. Add clear guidelines on the treatment of vulnerable claimants in the Guidelines on the Conduct of Hearings.