Reference no: EM133338513

Myths & Misconceptions

About Refugees and Immigrants in Canada

Myth #1: Canada receives more than its share of refugees

In fact .....

Many other Western countries receive more refugee claimants than Canada, both in absolute numbers and per capita. Year after year, Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States have each received more refugee claims than Canada. Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland are 3 countries with more refugee claims per capita than Canada in 1998.
The majority of the world's refugees come from - and remain in - countries of the South. The following countries have each been hosting over a quarter of a million uprooted people: Congo/Zaire, Ethiopia, Guinea, Sudan, Tanzania, Azerbaijan, Germany, Russian Federation, Yugoslavia, United States, China, Gaza Strip, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, West Bank, India, Pakistan. The equivalent figure for Canada was 48,800.
The number of refugees Canada accepts each year is less than a tenth of 1% of our population.

Myth #2: Almost everyone who makes a refugee claim in Canada is accepted and those who are refused and have innumerable appeals.

In fact .....

Less than half of refugee claimants are granted refugee status. In 1998 44% of refugee claims were accepted. The average acceptance rate over the last 5 years (1994-1998) was 48%.
Despite the fact that refugee determination deals with matters of life and liberty, there is in fact no appeal on the merits for refused claimants. Review by the Federal Court is limited in scope and few claimants are even given permission to be heard by the court. There is a risk review, but it is very narrow and rejects over 95% of applicants.

Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.

Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 14

Myth #3: Refugee claimants can prolong their stay in Canada indefinitely because of government red tape.

In fact .....

There is very little a refused refugee claimant can do to delay removal. Even an application for humanitarian consideration does not postpone removal.
Over 5,000 refused refugee claimants were removed from Canada in 1998. Many other claimants left voluntarily.

Myth #4: Refugees who come to Canada using false documents are bogus refugees.

In fact .....

For many refugees fleeing persecution or death, a false travel document is the only means of escape. Often governments refuse to issue passports to known political dissidents - or imprison them if they apply. The fact that a claimant uses a false travel document tells us nothing about whether the person is a refugee or not.
Because refugees often cannot obtain all the necessary papers, international law prohibits governments from penalizing refugees who use false documents.
Most governments, including the Canadian, require travellers to have visas, creating an enormous obstacle for refugees trying to escape persecution. The more governments put up measures to stop people travelling to their territory, the more refugees are forced to use false documents and turn to smugglers to help them escape.

Myth #5: Refugee claimants in Canada are less deserving than refugees abroad and

Canada should therefore close its borders and only select refugees overseas.

In fact .....

All refugees are people who have been forced to flee their homes by human rights abuses and all deserve the chance to start a new life. To say that some are less deserving than others is to say that some human beings are of less value than others.
Canada has specific obligations towards any refugees on Canadian territory. Sending refugees back to persecution would violate international human rights standards.
Canada could resettle more refugees from abroad, while still respecting the rights of refugees who make a claim here.
answer the following questions

Canada's Refugee Policy

1. Refugees are a part of Canada. Explain.

2. How were Canada's immigration policies discriminatory in the past?

3. Komagatu Maru and the continuous journey policy

4. The Geneva Convention, 1951

5. 1979 New Canadian Immigration Act

6. The Singh Decision

7. How is Canada a leader in refugee protection?

Journey of Hope

1. What are some conditions that force people to leave their homes?

2. Make notes on the conditions of the camps (are they nice places to live?)

3. What are the roles of the UNHCR (United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees)?

4. What kinds of problems do refugees face in their place of asylum?

5. What were the places of origin for refugees after WWII? What about now?