Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy October 2014 - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

October 2014 Canadian Council for Refugees

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

M ajor themes

Shift in priorities to economic Increase in precarious status Restrictions for refugees Emphasis on criminality and fraud

Economic priority

Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

Immigra tion ca tegories : 1995

Economic Priorities

20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000

Family Refugees Economic

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

Immigra tion ca tegories : 2014 targets

Economic Priorities

20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000 Family Refugees Economic

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

Immigra tion ca tegories : 1995 vs. 2014

Economic Priorities

20,000 40,000 60,000 80,000 100,000 120,000 140,000 160,000

Family Refugees Economic

1995 2014

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

Priority to economic migra tion

Reflected (for example) in policy changes: Sponsorship of parents and grandparents Age of dependents from under 22 to under 19

Economic Priorities

Precarious s tatus

Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Precarious s tatus

200,000 225,000 250,000 275,000 300,000 325,000 350,000 375,000 400,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Temporary Foreign Workers vs Permanent Res idents 2009-2013

Foreign Workers Permanent res idents

M igrant workers

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Precarious s tatus

Vulnerable to exploitation and abuse due to: lack of permanent status employer-specific work permits isolation lack of access to information on rights lack of monitoring no settlement services

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Precarious s tatus

Trafficked pers

• ns

New barriers to protection through a Temporary Res ident Permit

Refugee claimants (one year ban) Designated Foreign Nationals (five year ban)

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Precarious s tatus

Conditional Permanent Res idence

Regulatory change Oct 2012 Sponsored spouses/partners, together for less than 2 years (no children) PR conditional for 2 years Exception for abuse or neglect

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Precarious s tatus

Ces s a tion and los s

• f Permanent Res

idence

Since 2012, permanent residents who came as refugees lose their permanent residence if they are found to no longer need protection.

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Precarious s tatus

Barriers to citizens hip

50,000 100,000 150,000 200,000 250,000 300,000 350,000 400,000 450,000

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Citizens hip applications

Applications Received New Citizens Inventory

Prepared by Canadian Council for Refugees from CIC data

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Precarious s tatus

Barriers to citizens hip

Slow processing – 24 months Residence Questionnaire New requirement – provide proof of competence in English/French Increased fees – February 2014

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Precarious s tatus

Amendments to Citizens hip Act

• Approved June 2014
• Most provisions not yet in

force

• Citizenship “harder to get,

easier to lose”

Res trictions for refugees

Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Res trictions for refugees

Refugee Health Care

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Res trictions for refugees

Interim Federal Health Program

Cuts effective June 30, 2012 Affect resettled refugees, refugee claimants and others Federal Court: cuts “cruel and unusual treatment” (July 2014)

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Res trictions for refugees

Refugee claim sys tem

Warning – EXTREME COMPLEXITY!

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Res trictions for refugees

Changes to claims

• Key fea

tures

Very short timelines Differential treatment Refugee appeal but bars on recourses

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Res trictions for refugees

Drop in numbers

• f claims

5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000 50,000 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Claims referred, 1989-2013

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Res trictions for refugees

Refugee res ettlement

5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 45,000

T he highs and lows

• f refugee res

ettlement to Canada 1979-2013

Gov't ass. Refugees

• Priv. Spons. Refugees

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Res trictions for refugees

Changes in res ettlement

Increased restrictions for private sponsors (but increased expectations) Ministerial priorities Focus on limited number of refugee populations Little response to Syrian crisis

Focus

• n fraud, criminality

Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Focus

• n fraud, criminality

Permanent res idence and criminality

Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals (C-43) June 2013 No right of appeal – 6 month sentence (previously 2 years)

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy Focus

• n fraud, criminality

Divis ive rhetoric

Common themes: Fraud Criminality Queue-jumping Pitting Canadians against refugees

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

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Recent Changes in Refugee and Immigration Policy

For more informa tion:

ccrweb.ca