Refugee policies are complicated, require sensitivity, and stir up much emotion. As a result, it is crucial that the public be involved in the development of such policies to provide various viewpoints and options. But with the recent refugee bill public debate was only held during the amendment process, not in the drafting of the legislation. Eventually all parties and many refugee advocacy organizations accepted the amendments, recognizing that there were some improvements, but still cautious about the prospects for future refugee cases. Read more »
Rebekah Sears looks at the proposed changes to the refugee system, questioning whether they emphasize Fast at the Expense of Fair? Rebekah notes several conditions the proposed changes need to meet in order to ensure the system remains fair. Read more »
By Rebekah Sears | Thursday, April 1st, 2010 - 11:31AM
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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 »
By Rebekah Sears | Thursday, March 25th, 2010 - 3:52PM
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In Canada, our labour laws extend to all workers, both in the public and private sectors. These laws include the maintaining of proper and safe working conditions, and ensuring that complete wages are issued. All workers, be they citizens, permanent residents, immigrants or temporary foreign workers, documented and undocumented fall under this protection.
Unfortunately, despite our laws incidents of abuse, including the withholding of wages still occur in Canada, and often in connection with temporary foreign workers. Read more »
By Rebekah Sears | Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 - 9:09AM
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In 2009 Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney promised significant reforms to Canadian immigration policy before the end of the year. In the last months of 2009, several small changes were introduced, including improvements to the Live-in Caregivers program and better recognition of foreign credentials. We are still awaiting the major changes.
But before the changes are announced, Minister Kenney and the government should consider what Canadians really think about immigration. Read more »
Human trafficking is rooted in long-standing gender, race, and power inequalities. It is a multi-faceted social problem, fed by serious poverty and social exclusion – especially the lack of economic options for poor women and girls. It is influenced by situations of corruption and made more challenging by the complexity of international jurisdictional issues.
World sporting events are well known as occasions for increased trafficking. So what can we expect as Canada plays host to the 2010 Olympic Games? Read more »
By Rebekah Sears | Thursday, February 4th, 2010 - 3:51PM
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As I approach the half-way point in my internship with CPJ I would like to reflect on the last five months. The activities in which I have been involved have been very helpful in terms of my own personal and professional development, and many have been helpful in promoting CPJ’s work in a variety of areas. Most of my work can be divided into the following categories: office collaboration, research, website content and connections. Read more »
An important element in making newcomers feel welcome is engaging the general population. Public education and awareness campaigns or proactive efforts to connect newcomers with Canadian residents are important. Education can help people understand one another while addressing concerns surrounding growing diversity and multiculturalism in Canada. Both government and non-government sectors need to be involved. Read more »
By Kathy Vandergrift and Citizens for Public Justice | Tuesday, January 26th, 2010
The Prime Minister sent our MPs home to recalibrate the government agenda. The break was 20 workdays, he said.
If you could set the agenda for 2010 during this pause, what would your list of the 20 most important policy concerns include?
CPJ has come up with a list of 20 key policy questions, one for each day. We believe these issues should be debated by MPs, the voice of the people, to set directions for Canada. Read more »
By Rebekah Sears | Friday, January 22nd, 2010 - 9:31AM
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Last week Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced that, in light of the recent devastating earthquake in Haiti, the government will explore options for fast tracking Haitian applicants. Since then, Kenney has been refining these options.
In general, both the Haitian community in Canada and refugee advocacy organizations such as the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) are grateful for the immediate response of the government to the crisis, and the emphasis on humanitarian and family immigration. But these same communities and groups feel that these actions are not enough, particularly considering the definition of immediate family. Read more »
Refugee policies are complicated, require sensitivity, and stir up much emotion. As a result, it is crucial that the public be involved in the development of such policies to provide various viewpoints and options. But with the recent refugee bill public debate was only held during the amendment process, not in the drafting of the legislation. Eventually all parties and many refugee advocacy organizations accepted the amendments, recognizing that there were some improvements, but still cautious about the prospects for future refugee cases. 
Human trafficking is rooted in long-standing gender, race, and power inequalities. It is a multi-faceted social problem, fed by serious poverty and social exclusion – especially the lack of economic options for poor women and girls. It is influenced by situations of corruption and made more challenging by the complexity of international jurisdictional issues.
The Prime Minister sent our MPs home to recalibrate the government agenda. The break was 20 workdays, he said.
