Immigration and Settlement

1. Undocumented/non-status immigrants and refugees who have been living without status in Canada have made and continue to make vital contributions to our society;
2. They have been denied access to basic social supports, health services and educational opportunities;
3. They are exploited and marginalized because of lack of status;
4. The rights of the children of undocumented/non-status immigrants and refugees, including those who are Canadian-born, are often violated and they and their parents have no recourse because they are fearful of being deported;
5. An increasingly restrictive Canadian immigration policy serves as a prohibitive barrier to equitable access to immigration to Canada;
6. In the past the Canadian Government has instituted special programs to regularize the status of such persons without status;
7. A just and humane solution must be sought to address the problem of the large numbers of undocumented/non-status immigrants and refugees in the country;

1. Canada issued over 87,000 temporary work permits last year;
2. People living on temporary work permits are often in precarious and unstable situations;
3. Many people living on work permits will eventually become landed in Canada;
4. People living on temporary work permits are all contributing community members and paying taxes;

1. The need for language training increases in communities affected by secondary migration;
2. The new funding allocation model does not address the immediate training needs of newcomers now living in affected communities;
3. These communities have long waiting lists for LINC classes;

1. The government of Canada made a commitment to Canadians for efficient program management in the document "Results for Canadians";
2. The government of Canada made a commitment to the Voluntary Sector for rational reporting systems in the Voluntary Sector Accord and its Code of Good Practice on Funding;
3. LINC providers in Ontario are being forced into a triple reporting structure because CIC's two computer systems, the regional ARS and the national iCAMS, are incompatible and unreliable;
4. ISAP providers in Ontario are being forced into double reporting because NHQ and Ontario Region do not have the same reporting requirements;
5. Both LINC and ISAP providers are forced to input large amounts of client data into systems with no capacity to assist program management;
6. CIC provides no realistic support for this administrative burden;

1. Homeless immigrants and refugees are a vulnerable population;
2. HRDC will not issue Social Insurance Numbers without immigration documents and CIC will not issue permanent residence cards without a Social Insurance Number.
3. Immigrants cannot travel without a permanent resident card after December 31, 2003.

A CCR resolution in May 2003 supported the development of a Client Code of Rights to inform clients of their rights and outline a complaint process;

1. CCR passed Resolution 24 in December 2001 and subsequently has held regional workshops and a national conference to explore the issues domestically.
2. The Conference identified data collection, education and awareness-raising as key priorities.

1. The province of BC is preparing a system of 'Open Tendering' for settlement services, potentially contracting private sector interests to deliver core settlement services to immigrants for profit.
2. CIC has intentionally developed an internationally unique infrastructure of community-based immigrant settlement organizations across all provinces and territories;

1. Youth comprise a significant and often overlooked portion of the population.
2. Youth are the leaders of tomorrow;

1. The immigrant and refugee sector has made little attempt to create meaningful linkages with Canada's First Nation communities.
2. Non-aboriginal Canadians (including immigrants and refugees) have been beneficiaries of Canada's policies that have discriminated against Aboriginal communities;