The only time I remember feeling hope in recent years was when we made the decision to come to Canada. We would seek safety there, since we could not do so in the U.S. We were hopeful about the future. But Canada turned us away and delivered us to our jailers. Now, there is no hope. – A man in immigration detention in the US after being rejected by Canada under the Safe Third Country Agreement.
Dear friends and partners,
The Canadian Council for Refugees and its members are calling on civil society partners to join us in demanding an end to the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between Canada and the United States.
Since 2004, Canada has designated the United States as a safe country for refugees, under the STCA between the two countries. This agreement has effectively closed the door on most refugee claimants presenting themselves at the US-Canada border. They are sent back to the US, where many are put into immigration detention.
The Canadian Council for Refugees, Amnesty International and The Canadian Council of Churches have challenged in the courts the STCA on the basis that the agreement violates Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Following a positive decision by the Federal Court, the government appealed, and the case is currently before the Supreme Court of Canada. Despite this, the Government struck a backroom deal with the US that came into effect in March 2023 to expand the STCA and shut down irregular border crossings such as Roxham Road, effectively ending all options for people seeking refuge.
This is why are asking for your help today. June 20th is World Refugee Day and to mark it we will remind our leaders that the STCA is counter to our values, in breach of our international obligations, and most importantly, stands in stark contrast to the overwhelming public support for refugees. The STCA and its recent expansion is an affront to the people of this country, who overwhelmingly agree that we should be welcoming refugees regardless of where they come from.
For more on the STCA and why you should support our efforts to end it, please check out the following resources:
- CCR Backgrounder on the Safe Third Country Agreement
- CCR Statement on the Expansion of the Third Country Agreement
- CCR Public Statement on Roxham Road
For any questions, you can reach us at info@ccrweb.ca
- Read the open letter
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Dear Prime Minister and leaders of the opposition parties,
We are writing to demand that Canada withdraw from the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) with the United States to ensure that individuals seeking refuge can do so without risking their lives. We call on you to demonstrate leadership and withdraw our country from the STCA, to allow individuals to make a refugee claim by presenting themselves in a regular way at a Port of Entry.
The STCA and its recent expansion has effectively closed Canada's borders to refugees, forcing them to take dangerous and difficult journeys to reach safety. This puts them at extreme risk of abuse, exploitation, and even violence by smugglers.
We must recognize the human rights of all individuals seeking safety and the dignity they deserve. We must also acknowledge the racism inherent in policies that restrict access to safety by specifically targeting people fleeing from the Global South.
In light of the recent Supreme Court of Canada decision, which acknowledges that refugees sent back to the US face real risks of rights violations, and which has directed the Federal court to determine whether the Agreement breaches gender equality rights under the Charter as a matter of profound seriousness, we call on our political leaders to suspend Canada’s participation in the STCA without delay, in line with the fundamental principles of dignity, fairness, and inclusivity that define our nation.
Our country takes great pride in a tradition of providing refuge to those fleeing persecution and violence. By dismantling the barriers imposed by the STCA and allowing individuals to make refugee claims at regular ports of entry, you can uphold our identity as a compassionate and welcoming nation that recognizes the inherent worth and potential of all individuals.
Sincerely yours,
- Signatories organizations
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- Canadian Council for Refugees
- Welcome Collective
- The Refugee Centre
- Clinique pour la justice migrante
- Service jésuite des réfugiés Canada
- Foyer du Monde
- Action Réfugiés Montréal
- Centre des femmes d'ici et d'ailleurs
- Amnistie internationale Canada francophone
- AMIGRAR Immigration Consulting Inc.
- Rainbow Refugee Society
- Mouvement contre le viol et l'inceste
- Healthy Muslim Families
- Le Pont (CACRM)
- OCASI-Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
- Francophonie Canadienne Plurielle Société
- Maison de la Famille des Maskoutains
- Centre for Refugee Children
- Vancouver Island Counselling Centre for Immigrants and Refugees Association
- Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes (TCRI)
- Association pour les droits des travailleuses.rs de maison et de ferme (DTMF-RHFW)
- Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies (SAISIA)
- Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations (MANSO)
- Citizens for Public Justice
- Multi-Agency Partnership of BC
- Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)
- Créons des Ponts/Bridges not Borders
- Physician Partnership of the Newcomer Health Clinic, Halifax
- Ontario sanctuary coalition
- Montreal City Mission
- Afghan Women's Organization Refugee and Immigrant Services
- Romero House
- Canadian Labour Congress
- Kinbrace Community Society
- Ontario Federation of Labour
- Canadian Refugee Health Network
- Réseau d'action des femmes en santé et services sociaux - Montréal
- Regroupement des organismes communautaires famille de Montréal
- Vision Inter-Cultures
- 350.org
- Montreal LGBTQ+ Community Centre
- Agora Boreale association interculturelle
- Stratégie Carrière
- Amnesty International Canada
- Emergency Support Committee for Refugees
- Table régionale des organismes volontaires d'éducation populaire (TROVEP) de Montréal
- Association canadienne-française de l'Ontario Conseil régional des Mille-Îles
- KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives
- Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
- The United Church of Canada
- Comité logement de la Petite Patrie
- AGIR: Action LGBTQ+ avec les immigrantEs et les réfugiéEs
- FCJ Refugee Centre
- Oxfam Canada
- MOSAIC BC
- Visitation Province of Congregation of Notre Dame of Montreal
- La Ligue des Noirs du Québec
- Centre Oblat – A Voice for Justice
- Réseau québécois de l'Action Communautaire Autonome
- Femmes du monde à Côte-des-Neiges
- ACCÉSSS
- Femmes-Relais St-Michel
- Table des groupes de femmes de Montréal
- Adam House
- AURA - Anglican United Refugee Alliance
- Inasmuch Community Society
- COMPASS Refugee Centre
- Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture
- New Journey Housing
- Centre social d'aide aux immigrants
- Kurdish Initiative for Refugees Inc.
- Christie Refugee Welcome Centre
- Matthew House Refugee Services Toronto
- Dushahi Sribavan Law Professional Corporation
- Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre
- Matthew House Refugee Welcome Centre Windsor
- Catholic Center for Immigrants Ottawa
- Sojourn House
- Physioversal
- International Association for Refugees Canada
- Canadian Civil Liberties Association
- Canadian Arab Federation
- Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre
- Calgary Catholic Immigration Society
- Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers (EMCN)
- Immigrant & Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba (IRCOM)
- Office for Systemic Justice, Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada
- Canadian Association of University Teachers
- Refugee Committee, Toronto Monthly Meeting of The Society of Friends (Quakers)
- North End Sponsorship Team (NEST)
- Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre
- Association Latino-américaine pour Les Immigrants du Canada
- Centre d'aide aux familles latino américaines (CAFLA)
- Sisters of St Joseph of Toronto Ministry for Social Justice, Peace, and Creation Care
- Collaborative Network to End Exploitation
- Settlement Assistance and Family Support Services
- Diocese of Hamilton
- Access Alliance Multicultural Health and Community Services
- YWCA Toronto
- School of physical and occupational therapy, McGill University
- Law Office of Jason Currie
- Welcome Haven
- Iraqi Federation of Refugees
- Rural Refugee Rights Network
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Cultural and Social Psychiatry, McGill University
- Unifor
- Mouvement d'éducation populaire et d'action communautaire du Québec
- SJ McLean Law Professional Corporation
- Rainbow Refugee Association of Nova Scotia
- Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto
- Youth For Purpose Canada
- Workers' Action Centre
- Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST)
- Family Service Toronto
- Capital Rainbow Refuge
- International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
- Immigration Law Clinic, Detroit Mercy School of Law
- University of Manitoba
- TNO - The Neighbourhood Organization
- St.Mary's International charitable Organization
- Somali HelpAge Association
- Colour of Poverty - Colour of Change
- National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
- Calgary Refugee Services
- Centre social d’aide aux immigrants (CSAI)
- Réseau d'Intervention auprès des personnes ayant subi la Violence Organisée (RIVO)
- Bureau coordonateur Ahuntsic
- Hispanic Development Council
- Martha Justice Ministry, Sisters of St. Martha, Antigonish
- Les Œuvres Marie-Anne Lavallée
- Matthew House Ottawa: Refugee Services and Furniture Bank
- Refugee 613
- Angela Rose and Oak House
- Solidarité Ahuntsic
- Ligue des droits et libertés
- Alliance pour l'accueil & l'intégration des immigrants (ALAC)
- The Canadian Council of Churches
- Dixie Bloor Neighbourhood Centre (DBNC)
- Nellie's Shelter