Policy Statements: Refugee Rights

CPJ has presented its pre-budget submission with recommendations for Budget 2025, which will be the final budget that will be set before the next federal election. In our submission, we urge the federal government to: Read the Summary Recommendations below or the full document. Summary of Recommendations

Let’s unite our voices for Asylum with Dignity! CPJ is calling for broad inter-faith support to advance the rights of refugee claimants. Canada maintains the reputation as a global leader in refugee resettlement. However, refugee claimants – those who seek protection at our borders or from inside the country – face significant challenges upon arrival. Individuals fleeing persecution are left with inadequate housing and social support leaving them to navigate a complex and daunting system on their own.

We are calling on all faith leaders, religious organizations, and members of faith communities across the country to join this campaign! We demand the implementation of a comprehensive plan that addresses critical gaps in the reception and support of refugee claimants.

Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) has presented its pre-budget submission for August 2023, emphasizing Canada’s commitment to human rights, sustainable development, and international climate obligations. Key recommendations include: Canada’s dedication to the Sustainable Development Goals is evident, with Prime Minister Trudeau’s role as Co-Chair of the SDG Advocates group. CPJ urges the federal government to…

We at International Justice Mission (IJM) Canada and Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) are committed to supporting national and international policies that strengthen protection to survivors of Gender-Based Violence (GBV). During these 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence, we want to draw special attention to the initiatives that Canada can support to provide protection…

October 2022 CPJ has continually argued for federal budgets that take a holistic, all-of-government approach to addressing the crises we face. We acknowledge that recent Federal Budgets have explicitly recognized the need for climate justice, Indigenous Reconciliation, poverty eradication, and refugee and migrant rights. While important progress has been made, it is time to prioritize…

Submission to the Standing Committee on Finance Pre-Budget Consultations February 2022 Download the brief (PDF) In the context of the Pre-Budget Consultations 2022, Citizens for Public Justice (CPJ) presents a series of recommendations to the Department of Finance that uphold the principles of climate justice, equity, inclusion, and human flourishing. Following a tradition of several years, CPJ…

We come together as representatives of Baha’í, Buddhist, Christian, Jewish, Muslim and Sikh faith traditions out of a shared concern for the dignity and humanity of refugee claimants and other newcomers to Canada. Our diverse faiths urge us to uphold the human rights of those seeking safety or a better life, and to denounce instances…

Keeping with a tradition begun by Prime Minister Trudeau in 2015, mandate letters for federal Cabinet Ministers were shared publicly on December 17, 2021. These letters provide Canadians with an overview of the government’s key priorities for the new parliamentary session, and signal areas of responsibility for each Minister, as well as some key targets…

Citizens for Public Justice joins people across Canada in celebrating Refugee Rights Day on Sunday, April 4. This is the second Refugee Rights Day of the pandemic. On this day in 1985, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) rendered a monumentally historic decision pertaining to the rights of refugees in response to Singh v. Minister…

The merit of this Speech from the Throne will be determined by the details that follow. As the federal government irons out these details in the months ahead, here’s what CPJ will be pressing for on our key issue areas.