April 4 is Refugee Rights Day in Canada, when we commemorate the declaration by the Supreme Court in 1985 that the Charter of Rights of Freedoms is meant to protect the rights to liberty, personal security and justice of everyone in Canada, including refugees. This means that all refugee claimants are entitled to an oral hearing to make their case.
This year, Refugee Rights Day comes less than a week after Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announces major changes to Canada’s refugee and asylum system. In response to the rising number of asylum claims and the long waiting list Kenney has made changes, part of which is the proposal of a "safe country" list which will categorize applications.
False claims are a real concern, as is the daunting backlog of applicants, but is the categorization of refugee applicants by country a viable solution? What about the Supreme Court decision which emphasizes equal treatment? Read more »
