From CANADIANIMMIGRANT. CA
Canada’s new asylum system will come into force on Dec. 15, 2012.
All eligible asylum claimants will continue to receive a hearing at the independent Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), within 60 days after their claim is referred to the IRB. In contrast, claimants currently wait, on average, close to 600 days to receive a hearing.
The new system treats claimants from countries that do not normally produce refugees slightly differently, however. The new measures allow the government to identify designated countries of origin (DCOs), which are presumably “safe” countries. Applications from claimants from these countries will still receive the same individualized hearing that all asylum claimants currently receive, but they will be expedited (between 30 and 45 days).
“Last year alone, nearly a quarter of all asylum claims in Canada were made by people from democratic European Union nations — that’s more claims than Canada received from Africa or Asia,” said Kenney.
When the new measures were announced in June, Wanda Yamamoto, president of Canada Council for Refugees, raised concerns about judging refugee claims by country of origin and creating a “two-tier system.” “Our refugee system needs to ensure a full, fair and independent decision process to decide who is a refugee, based on the facts of their case and regardless of their countries of origin. The new system is vulnerable to political considerations, while the rhetoric about ‘bogus refugees’ in public pronouncements about the bill has been shameful.”
Most applicants, although not those from DOC countries, will also have access to a newly created Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). Those claimants who, according to the IRB, have manifestly unfounded claims or claims that have no credible basis, will also not have access to the appeal division.
Under the new system, failed asylum claimants will be removed from Canada within a year of their final IRB decision, compared to the current situation in which it generally takes 4.5 years to exhaust all recourses and remove a failed asylum claimant.
According to the federal government, the new system is expected to save provinces and territories $1.6 billion over five years in social assistance and education costs.
New asylum system in effect this Dec. 15
November 30, 2012
Minister Jason Kenney at press conference about new asylum system.
“Our changes will make Canada’s asylum system faster and fairer,”said Immigration Minister Jason Kenney at a recent press conference.
“For too long, Canada’s generous asylum system has been vulnerable to abuse. Under the new asylum system, genuine refugees fleeing persecution will receive protection more quickly. At the same time, bogus asylum claimants and those who abuse our generous system at great expense to taxpayers, will be removed much faster.”
All eligible asylum claimants will continue to receive a hearing at the independent Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), within 60 days after their claim is referred to the IRB. In contrast, claimants currently wait, on average, close to 600 days to receive a hearing.
The new system treats claimants from countries that do not normally produce refugees slightly differently, however. The new measures allow the government to identify designated countries of origin (DCOs), which are presumably “safe” countries. Applications from claimants from these countries will still receive the same individualized hearing that all asylum claimants currently receive, but they will be expedited (between 30 and 45 days).
“Last year alone, nearly a quarter of all asylum claims in Canada were made by people from democratic European Union nations — that’s more claims than Canada received from Africa or Asia,” said Kenney.
“We’re spending far too much time and taxpayers’ money on bogus claims, and on generous tax-funded health and social benefits for claimants from liberal democracies.”
When the new measures were announced in June, Wanda Yamamoto, president of Canada Council for Refugees, raised concerns about judging refugee claims by country of origin and creating a “two-tier system.” “Our refugee system needs to ensure a full, fair and independent decision process to decide who is a refugee, based on the facts of their case and regardless of their countries of origin. The new system is vulnerable to political considerations, while the rhetoric about ‘bogus refugees’ in public pronouncements about the bill has been shameful.”
Most applicants, although not those from DOC countries, will also have access to a newly created Refugee Appeal Division (RAD). Those claimants who, according to the IRB, have manifestly unfounded claims or claims that have no credible basis, will also not have access to the appeal division.
Under the new system, failed asylum claimants will be removed from Canada within a year of their final IRB decision, compared to the current situation in which it generally takes 4.5 years to exhaust all recourses and remove a failed asylum claimant.
According to the federal government, the new system is expected to save provinces and territories $1.6 billion over five years in social assistance and education costs.
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