MAJOR CHANGES FOR REFUGEE SYSTEM?

See this story from the Vancouver Sun. Changes to the refugee determination system are long overdue, by decades. However, this politically explosive issue promises to be a rallying cry for those with a vested interest in the status quo, even though recent polls show that the vast majority of Canadians want reform and a system that is harder to game. I find it rather amusing that opponents of reform are now in favour of speedier deportations, because when that happens, they are the first to make everything possible to stop them. One thing is certain: our system is a joke and the laughing stock of all the human traffickers of the world who find it easy to "dump" people into the refugee system because it takes years to deal with claims. Given the opposition to reform and the fact that there is now a minority government, I doubt that reform will be meaningful. Every time they "reform " the refugee system, there are so many exceptions and loopholes that it just ends up creating another layer of ineffective bureaucracy. Perhaps the time has come for the entire world community to reconsider the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees, as an outdated document rooted in the post-was era and out of sync with the 21st century.



Ottawa readies fast-tracking of refugee claims from 'safe' nations

By Norma Greenaway, Canwest News ServiceAugust 16, 2009

OTTAWA — The Harper government is readying for Parliament a package of reforms that for the first time could have Canada fast-tracking refugee claimants from countries where citizens are generally thought to be safe from persecution.


Though the proposal has yet to get the final nod from cabinet, Martin Collacott, a former Canadian diplomat who specializes in immigration issues, says such a move is long overdue.


"We are the only country in the world that will consider a (claim) from someone coming from the United States, from the Philippines, from Thailand, from South Korea," said Collacott, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.


The proposal envisions senior immigration officers hearing the refugee claimants from safe countries more quickly, thereby easing the load on the Immigration and Refugee Board. There would still be an appeal option, but it would be more streamlined than at present and would not necessarily involve another hearing.


As it stands now, it takes an average of 17 months before a claim is heard by the Immigration and Refugee Board. Once the board makes a decision, claimants can launch appeals that can last for years before the claimant is finally deported.


"Essentially, an unsuccessful claimant who is determined to game the system can stay in Canada for several years with a work permit and/or welfare benefits, and this fundamentally undermines the fairness of our immigration system," Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said.