Immigration.ca - Canada Immigration News - March 2010
This week the Canadian Government announced their proposed package of changes to improve the refugee system.
Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is presenting his package as a way to help accelerate the relocation for legitimate refugees and, at the same time, slowing the flow of illegitimate claimants into the system which has built up an approximately 60,000 application backlog.
One of the first objectives mentioned by Kenney is to shift more focus towards refugees living in camps, already designated as such by the United Nations. The government would increase the number of such refugees accepted by 2,500 annually.
"Millions of people have fled violence and persecution to seek refuge outside their home countries and we would like to do more to provide them with protection in Canada," Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said.
Another of the changes proposed by the government is to overhaul the Immigration and Refugee Boards. The current system of political appointees on the IRB would be replaced with full-time government employees from the Department of Citizenship and Immigration. This could cut waiting times for hearings from up to 19 months, down to two months.
The most controversial proposal on the Kenney agenda is the categorizing of all countries into "safe" and "unsafe" designations. Those claimants from countries deemed "safe" would only get one appeal on the Federal level while claimants from the "unsafe" countries would have multiple chances to appeal any IRB rulings.
Critics are concerned over the diplomatic implications of categorizing nations based on human rights track records.
Other highlights of the proposals include an interview with the claimant within 8 days of filing an application, reduction of decision times in both IRB rulings and appeal rulings, as well as an “assisted volunteer returns program” wherein the government pays for return tickets to those who to drop their claim and leave willingly.
The changes are expected to cost approximately $540-million over five years.
Source: Canwest News Service
