Brief to the Citizenship and Immigration Committee on Bill C-43
On November 17, 2014, CPJ submitted a brief to Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration entitled, “Protecting the Vulnerable: A call to safeguard social assistance for refugee claimants.” In it, we express our deep concern regarding sections 172 and 173 of the omnibus Budget Bill C-43, which amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act to allow provinces to require a minimum period of residency for eligibility of social assistance.
“Protecting the Vulnerable” outlines the severe impact of these changes on persons with non-permanent status in Canada. It also presents findings from CPJ’s latest report on refugees, “Private Sponsorship and Public Policy” and demonstrates the impact that such cuts will have on refugee-sponsoring churches and organizations.
CPJ also signed on to a letter with 160 organizations calling for sections 172 and 173 to be withdrawn from the bill.
