Download CPJ’s Petition calling on the Government of Canada to increase the resettlement quota for Syrian refugees to 10,000 under an accelerated program. (PDF) Read CPJ’s letter to Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander calling on Canada to resettle 10,000 Syrian refugees. Originally published in The Hill Times. To stay true to its word, and its…
Two years after the cuts to the Interim Federal Health Program came into effect, the medical community is still active and mobilized across Canada. Canadian doctors, nurses and other health professionals continue to condemn the cuts for their devastating effect on refugees, our public health system and the public purse.
But how are churches and faith communities responding?
Activists, former politicians, and national church leaders found something to agree on this morning. All were among the 47 distinguished signatories of a Human Rights Day statement urging the government to change their refugee policies.
On June 30, 2012, the federal government made drastic cuts to health care being provided to refugees by the Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP). This program includes coverage for medication, eye care, dental care, prosthetic devices, and wheelchairs. Now provinces and refugee sponsors, many of whom are churches, are forced to cover these expenses.
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2013 edition of the Catalyst.
Today on Refugee Rights Day, the Canadian Council for Refugees is launching the Proud to Protect Refugees campaign with CPJ’s support. The campaign is asking organizations to make a public declaration of their support for refugees and people seeking support in Canada. Citizens for Public Justice has also sent a letter to Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, asking him to rescind the cuts to the Interim Federal Health Program.
Now that the presents are unwrapped and the tryptophan is wearing off, it is fitting to reflect on the events that unfolded after the Nativity. As if giving birth in a barn wasn’t rough enough, Mary and Joseph soon faced a death threat against their son at the bidding of a sociopathic king. Upon divine…
The numbers are out: in 2010 Canada let in the highest number of immigrants in over 50 years. But while Minister of Immigration, Citizenship, and Multiculturalism Jason Kenney may use this as evidence of a clean bill of health for Canadian immigration policy, these numbers do not tell the whole story.
Refugee policies are complicated, require sensitivity, and stir up much emotion. As a result, it is crucial that the public be involved in the development of such policies to provide various viewpoints and options. But with the recent refugee bill public debate was only held during the amendment process, not in the drafting of the legislation. Eventually all parties and many refugee advocacy organizations accepted the amendments, recognizing that there were some improvements, but still cautious about the prospects for future refugee cases.
Rebekah Sears looks at the proposed changes to the refugee system, questioning whether they emphasize Fast at the Expense of Fair? Rebekah notes several conditions the proposed changes need to meet in order to ensure the system remains fair.
Two weeks ago, Minister for Citizenship and Immigration Jason Kenney stated that he believed immigrants should be required to speak English or French before being accepted into Canada, arguing that this would encourage newcomers to integrate more into Canadian society. His statement has since sparked a heated debate about immigration policy in Canada. How do we integrate newcomers into Canada? Is a language requirement fair and necessary for integration?