Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - August 2009
The Canadian Government, in Conservative power, is planning to table legislation in the fall which would allow fast-tracking of refugee claimants from certain countries.
Analysts say the legislation is likely to pass, despite the fact that the Conservative hold a minority government, because members of the opposing parties are willing to cooperate to improve Canada’s ailing refugee system.
The system has come under fire in light of the recent imposition of visa requirements for Mexican and Czech visitors – a move which the Government says was motivated by ballooning illegitimate refugee claims.
Though Liberal Party leader Michael Ignatieff said that the Government was making excuses and has in fact done nothing to fix Canada’s refugee system, experts say there are widely varying views within the Liberal party and it is likely that the Conservatives will be able to find support for their proposed legislation come autumn.
The legislation in question would include reforms to expedite the process such as allowing visa officers to preside over refugee claims, rather than the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). The Canadian Government has mentioned Great Britain’s system as an example to which they are looking toward, where claimants from certain countries deemed “safe” are fast-tracked through the system.
Source: The Globe and Mail
