Citizens for Public Justice

December 2017

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CPJ wrote to Prime Minister Trudeau to commend his decision to support Bill C-262, a private member’s bill that will ensure the laws of Canada are in harmony with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). By supporting the adoption of Bill C-262 – and subsequently following up with implementation – the Government of Canada can fulfill its commitment to realize the calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and “renew the relationship between Canada and Indigenous peoples.” In March 2016, CPJ issued a statement in compliance with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Recommendation #48, stating our full support of UNDRIP.

November 2017

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CPJ responded to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, to continue to stress our concern over the extensive burden of travel loan repayment on resettled refugees’ ability to adjust to new life in Canada. We repeated our recommendation for the federal government to cover all costs for resettled refugee travel to Canada, while raising an inquiry over the costs of administering the program. 

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Ottawa, ON: November 22, 2017 – To mark National Housing Day, the federal government unveiled the details of its National Housing Strategy (NHS), a national plan to address housing and homelessness in Canada. The Dignity for All campaign, co-led by Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) and Canada Without Poverty (CWP), welcomed the announcement as a step toward ending poverty in Canada.

International engagement must be accompanied by more action at home

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Bonn, Germany: November 16, 2017 — The Powering Past Coal Alliance was announced today at COP23 by the Environment Ministers of the UK and Canada. The announcement included a celebration of the partnership established between 25 national and sub-national governments to phase out coal-power around the world and a commitment to achieve the “phase-out in a sustainable and economically inclusive way, while providing appropriate support for workers and communities.”

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Bonn, Germany: November 13, 2017 —As the world convenes for the COP23 climate conference in Germany, Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) will be there to call for Canada to do its part to implement the Paris Agreement.

“COP23 marks a critical moment for Canadian climate leadership,” said Karri Munn-Venn, Senior Policy Analyst for CPJ. “While some important advances have been made, it is clear that Canada — and the international community — must commit to a much higher level of ambition to close the gap between projected emissions and the Paris targets.”

Current immigration developments south of the border call for a closer look at the relationship between Canada and United States immigration policy. The Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), in operation since 2004, was created under the assumption that both countries tackle immigration in the same way. 

In light of recent policy changes, it’s important to be informed about what the STCA means for refugees who may seek refuge in Canada from the United States.

Here’s what you need to know. 

Citizens for Public Justice calls for stronger refugee resettlement in Canada

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Ottawa, ON: Nov. 2, 2017 — Yesterday, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released details of the 2018-2020 Immigration Levels Plan. CPJ was pleased that our recommendation to set multi-year levels was adopted—the first such plan in nearly two decades. The plan outlines, among other things, the number of Government-Assisted Refugee (GAR) and Privately-Sponsorship Refugee (PSR) allocations for the next three years.

Fiscal update suggests the human and economic potential of a comprehensive, fully-funded National Anti-Poverty Plan

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Ottawa, ON: October 24, 2017 — The Liberal government’s Fall Economic Statement made a strong case for the potential of strategic investments to reduce poverty among seniors and low-income families with children. Targeted spending on the Canada Child Benefit, for example, was reported to have lifted hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty, and adjustments to the eligibility and funding of Employment Insurance and various income supports for seniors were held up as lifelines for those “working hard to join the middle class.”

The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) recently launched a campaign encouraging the Canadian government to be a leader in refugee resettlement.

October 2017

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CPJ wrote to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, to express our support for. proposed changes to interest charges on travel loans offered to refugees. The new policy changes outlined that no interest charges would apply to future loans and any outstanding loans would not accrue additional interest. We also repeated our recommendation for the federal government to cover costs for resettled refugee travel to Canada.