Recent Publications: Refugee Rights

See below some of CPJs latest publications relating to refugee and migrant rights. To find specific articles, use the search function at the top of the website.

2025 Federal Election

Public Justice at the Polls CPJ’s 2025 federal election materials Election Tour Before the 2025 federal election, CPJ is hitting the road! During March and April, CPJ will be teaming up with partner organizations across the country to hold local events during our 2025 Election Tour. Each event will have a slightly different public justice…

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Silhouette of a lookout tower at a border.

Reading the news; hearing and heeding the call to action

In a piece originally published in the Do Justice blog, CPJ’s Public Justice Intern for Refugee and Migrant rights reflects on the heart-wrenching stories of vulnerable migrants navigating hostile climates of both policy and public opinion. Read more to hear what a compassionate, rights-based response to the news of the day looks like.

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Taking up the Call to Resistance and Refuge: a Coordinated Response

Canada faces a surge in refugee claimants, exceeding 137,000 in 2024, yet lacks a coordinated national plan for their resettlement. Grassroots organizations are filling the gaps, providing vital housing and support, but a comprehensive federal strategy is urgently needed to ensure dignified support for asylum seekers and fulfill Canada’s international obligations.

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A person asleep under clothing on a bench with signs above banning smoking and camping.

A Call to Resistance and Refuge

In the summer of 2023, a number of African refugee claimants arrived in Toronto. Amid an overburdened shelter system, government inaction, and funding disputes, these migrants were effectively put out on the street. Several faith communities and organizations, including Pilgrim’s Feast Tabernacle Church and the Crisis in our City Network, took up the call to resist this injustice and transformed their spaces into shelters, providing refuge and essential services for thousands. Learn how faith communities took bold an compassionate steps to bring justice to a vulnerable population.

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Prayer candles in a church.

16 days of activism against gender based violence

Reflect on the lived experiences of survivors, dive deep into the systems that perpetuate violence, and explore global efforts to combat gender-based violence during the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence.

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On the Periphery

Canadians expect a strong health care system, but a shortage of professionals poses a challenge. Canada must increasingly depend on internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs) to sustain quality and effectiveness. Mansoureh (Suri) Ebrahimi’s report explores the barriers and discrimination that IHEPs face, even while Canada’s healthcare system will inevitably rely upon these workers.

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Canada’s Disposable Workforce - Addressing Abuses Against Migrant Workers

Canada’s Disposable Workforce

In this policy brief, Asvini Uthayakumaran delves into the oppressive labour conditions experienced by predominantly racialized temporary foreign workers (TFWs). These conditions are the result of two central features of the TFWP: (1) the denial of permanent immigration status and (2) the use of employer-tied/closed work permits. Both of these features work in tandem to deny migrant workers basic rights and keep them in the margins of Canadian society.

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Citizens for Public Justice staff and supporters marching at the 2023 World Refugee Rights Day in Ottawa.

Refugee claimants in Canada shouldn’t be forced to sleep in a shelter

CPJ joins other Canadian faith-based communities to call upon Canada to develop and implement A National Plan for Asylum with Dignity. As a signatory to both the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1951 Refugee Convention, Canada must ensure that it is upholding the rights of those fleeing persecution. Show your support by signing our Inter-faith Campaign for asylum with dignity.

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"Refugees welcome" painted on a concrete wall.

Interfaith Call to Action – Asylum with Dignity for Refugee Claimants

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.

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A steel net against the background of a blue sky and a flagpole with the flag of Canada

CPJ, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International Organize Press Conference Regarding Immigration Detention

On Wednesday, May 1st, CPJ helped organize a press conference at Parliament Hill to address recent developments regarding immigration detention – specifically, the proposal in the Federal Budget to use federal prisons to detain immigrants solely for administrative reasons.

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