This report delves into the implications and effects of the Safe Third Country Agreement for Canada, the legal challenges to the STCA, and the overall US-Canada diplomatic relations which deter Canada from rescinding the STCA.
The Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) is an asylum agreement between Canada and the United States recognizing one another as safe countries for potential refugees to seek protection. Enacted on December 29, 2004, the Agreement holds that refugee claimants are required to request refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in; unless they…
This report analyses the federal government’s efforts to address the refugee sponsorship challenges raised by Sponsorship Agreement Holders in A Half Welcome in 2017. While there have been some improvements in the refugee resettlement process in the past three years, significant gaps remain.
“Barriers to Integration,” CPJ’s latest report, explores the socio-economic challenges and barriers that refugees face in integrating into Canadian society.
Myth Refugees just want to take advantage of Canadians’ generous social programs. Fact Refugees are forced to flee their homes, with some leaving behind good jobs. Most are eager to work but may first have to learn a new language and wait to process their work permit, this can take many months. Myth Refugees might…
CPJ interviewed refugees who wished to share stories of how the burden of loans has affected their resettlement in Canada. Here’s what they had to say.
“The Most Vulnerable” examines how the federal Government, Churches, and Advocacy Groups can apply an intersectional approach to their respective areas of policy making and advocacy efforts.
“Reclaiming Protection” provides background on the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), which has allowed the Canada Border Services Agency to return refugee claimants to the U.S. since December 2014. The policy is based on the premise that refugees should make their claim in the first “safe” country in which they arrive. But as anti-refugee policies continue to be introduced south of the border, there is much reason to believe that the U.S. is no longer a safe haven for many refugees.
This report examines the main policy challenges Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) face today. Drawing on the responses SAH representatives provided through interviews and a survey, this report highlights four main areas of concern: long wait times, wait times for non-Syrian applications, allocation limits, and travel loans.
This study demonstrates the severely negative effects that a minimum residency requirement for social assistance would have on refugee claimants in Canada. After conducting a survey of service providers who work directly with refugees as well as gathering personal testimonies from claimants, the report provides ample evidence that the policy would be inadvisable on economic, humanitarian, and legal grounds.