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Immigration and Settlement

Anti-racism education

Resolution number
5
Whereas
  1. Racism is a reality in Canadian society;
  2. In particular, racism is reflected in refugee and immigrant selection policies;
  3. The deepening economic recession has stimulated even more backlash against refugees and immigrants;
  4. Another important reflection of racism is the manner in which refugees and immigrants are treated after arrival. There are numerous racial discriminations which appear in the public and the political domain. As a result Canadian refugees and immigrant people of colour and their children are being systematically prevented from participating in the Canadian mosaic;
Therefore be it resolved

That:

  1. The CCR as a priority undertake a programme of public education to dispel refugee myths. One major undertaking should be the incorporation into press releases of the contribution of newcomers to this society;
  2. The CCR incorporate a statement into all its external and internal documents, such as its mission statement and its By-Laws, that part of the role of the Council is to actively promote an anti-racist perspective/initiative in all its work;
  3. The CCR set up an internal core group that includes representation from the diverse refugee and immigrant communities to devise strategies to combat racism;
  4. As part of its mandate, the core group encourage linkages between immigrant and refugee groups.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

Female genital mutilation

Resolution number
4
Whereas
  1. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) affects over 114 million women and girls in the world;
  2. An estimated 6 - 8 million girls under the age of 10 undergo the process of female genital mutilation each year;
  3. Female genital mutilation is the removal of, or injury to, any part of the female genital organ. The three main types are:

    Type 1) Clitoridectomy ("sunna") which may involve:

    1. Pricking the clitoris to induce bleeding,
    2. partial removal of the clitoris,
    3. complete removal of the clitoris

     

    Type 2)  Excision - removal of the clitoris and partial or complete removal of the labia minora

    Type 3) Infibulation ("Pharaonic mutilation") removal of the clitoris, labia minora, parts of the labia majora and the stitching together of the vulva (infibulation) to obliterate the urethra and the vaginal orifice except for a small opening (Women's Health in Women's Hands);

  4. Female Genital Mutilation is valued as a significant ritual within the cultures and communities in which it is practised but it has no valid religious or spiritual basis;
  5. Female Genital Mutilation can cause death in extreme cases or will leave the young woman with ongoing, lifelong health problems such as urinary and menstrual flow retention, dysmenorrhoea, infections of the reproductive and urinary tract, chronic pelvic infection, problems with childbirth, with sexual activity and chronic pain;
  6. Female Genital Mutilation is specifically identified as illegal in many countries and in Canada it is considered as child abuse in the section of physical abuse and aggravated assault;
  7. Female Genital Mutilation is child abuse but is also a violation of women's human rights, is violence against women, is violence against women's sexuality, is torture;
  8. Most importantly, Female Genital Mutilation is being practised in refugee camps, and it is well known what the sanitary conditions of refugees camps are like to undertake a radical surgery such as FGM;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Recommend to the UNCHR to recognise that Female Genital Mutilation is a human rights issue, and that it should be treated as such;
  2. Request that the Criminal Code of Canada be amended to specifically identify Female Genital Mutilation as a criminal act, and explore the possibility of appropriate new legislation;
  3. Urge the Federal and Provincial Ministries to appropriate funds and resources to provide counselling and support groups for the victims of FGM, for educational programmes to take place within the communities in which Female Genital Mutilation is practised and in order for the affected communities to educate the mainstream Canadian society, in particular, health service providers and educational institutions;
  4. Continue to pursue the issue of Female Genital Mutilation through information sharing, education and in advocacy;
  5. Explore the inclusion of FGM on the platform for action in the upcoming fourth world conference on Women, in Beijing 1995;
  6. Urge Canada to provide protection to women and to women and their daughters who are fleeing the FGM practice.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

Settlement and mainstream services

Resolution number
3
Whereas
  1. All social service agencies (mainstream and non-governmental) hold as fundamental principles that services must meet the specific needs of the populations served and that clients have the right to self-determination;
  2. All social services must respect the clients' choice as to the most appropriate service delivery system and offer diverse models of services to meet these individual needs;
  3. The understanding of settlement needs of immigrants and refugees has developed significantly over the past 10 years and has responded to the reality that newcomers' adjustment is of varying length depending on a variety of factors, which include language, cultural, social supports and integration, etc;
  4. Non-governmental settlement service agencies have evolved in meeting these needs and have developed a very comprehensive and specialized knowledge base for service delivery;
  5. Mainstream services are only beginning to address the issue of access to services by an increasingly diverse population;
  6. The accessibility and adequacy of such services are only in the developmental stages and these service agencies are still struggling with their internal adjustments to personnel and organizational change;
  7. Historically, non-governmental settlement services have not only been pioneers but have been providing leadership in developing settlement services to a constantly changing population;
  8. Mainstream social services are increasingly calling on the expertise of non-governmental settlement services to assist them in their transition to providing more accessible and culturally appropriate services to a population that they have not served in the past;
  9. Non-governmental settlement services have been meeting, and will continue to meet the needs for service in this area;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR communicate to the appropriate governmental and social service bodies at every possible opportunity that:

  1. Non-governmental settlement services are an integral part of the social service delivery system and that the expertise of these services must be fully recognized;
  2. Non-governmental settlement services must have equal access to funding for social services; 3. Ongoing funding must be made available to ensure continuity of services and to maintain quality of services through appropriate resources for planning, delivery and evaluation.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

Scope of settlement and integration services

Resolution number
2
Whereas
  1. Immigrant serving agencies play a key role not only in the initial settlement but also the integration of newcomers so that they may become participating members of the larger society;
  2. The settlement and integration process varies from one individual to another and can take anywhere from a few months to over a decade;
  3. Immigrant serving agencies are in a unique position to outreach to their community, assess needs and provide early detection of problems and intervention;
  4. Immigrant serving agencies are equipped with skills and professional expertise to provide specialized services, such as family counselling, employment and job training, etc. based on a variety of service models;
  5. Immigrant serving agencies may provide a wide range of holistic and culturally appropriate services which are not available in "mainstream" service agencies;
  6. Immigrants are entitled to choices for services which they consider most appropriate and acceptable (including specialized services at immigrant serving agencies);
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR undertake to communicate to the government that:

  1.   Immigrant settlement services should not be limited to new arrivals within a restricted time period (wherever limitation exists);
  2. Immigrant serving agencies are qualified not only to provide initial settlement services but also a wide range of specialized services such as family counselling, employment and job training, etc.;
  3. Immigrant serving agencies should have equal access to funding to meet unmet needs of the community they serve, including those needs which extend beyond the initial stage of settlement.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

SMIS national working group

Resolution number
1
Whereas
  1. Certain clients will not be accessing the services they need if they are aware that information about them will be transmitted to the government;
  2. NGOs' integrity cannot be comprised by supplying confidential information to the government;
  3. NGOs are not satisfied that SMIS has taken into consideration the operational implications or workload on them, nor are they convinced of the accuracy and therefore usefulness of the performance indicators;
  4. Citizenship and Immigration Minister Marchi announced the creation of a National Working Group to reach a compromise agreement on outstanding issues that will be mutually acceptable to the NGO community and the Government;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR urge: 

  1. That a moratorium be placed on the implementation and piloting of the SMIS until such time as a mutually acceptable agreement is reached by the National Working Group;
  2. That the National Working Group be comprised of:
    1. one provincial representative nominated by each of AMSSA, AAISA, SAISA, MICA, OCASI, and one for the Atlantic Region;
    2. an Information Technology Expert, nominated by the CCR;
    3. a legal expert on privacy, nominated by the CCR;
    4. an expert on programme evaluation, nominated by the CCR;
    5. a refugee client of a CCR member agency;
    6. an immigrant client of a CCR member agency;
    7. government staff including Settlement and Integration Policy, Research and Settlement Operations;
  3. That the National Working Group be co-chaired by an NGO and a government representative;
  4. That the agreements reached by the National Working Group be implemented in a timely fashion;
  5. That the NGO representatives keep the refugee and immigrant services organizations fully informed of the progress and seek their input including but not limited to the following issues:
    1. client confidentiality
    2. who has access to the reports produced
    3. a review of the mandatory information required
    4. what clients and programmes can be exempt from the SMIS reports
    5. the use and the meaningfulness of the performance indicators
    6. what kind of reports will be generated and how will they be used
    7. the security of the data
    8. what process will be used to ensure that planning will be collaborative;
  6. That sufficient funding be made available to the NGO representatives for:
    1. travel
    2. consultation
    3. telephone and fax
    4. expert advice
    5. honoraria for refugee and immigrant client representatives.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

Bonds

Resolution number
4
Whereas
bonds would create an insurmountable barrier to family sponsorship for sponsors, many of whom are already economically marginalized;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Adopt as its position that no form of bonds should be considered as a viable option for ensuring compliance in sponsorship agreements;
  2. Communicate this position to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

Myths and public education

Resolution number
3
Whereas
  1. The economic recession has created an increase in anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiments;
  2. The government has also contributed to the propagation of damaging myths about refugees and immigrants by releasing data on sponsorship breakdown without providing the appropriate context;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Urge that the government play a leadership role in public education to dispel the negative myths about refugees and immigrants and increase resources to allow non-governmental groups to do so effectively;
  2. Ask all CCR members to urge the media to be fair and balanced in their coverage of refugee issues.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

Priority for programs to integrate adolescent newcomers

Resolution number
2
Whereas
  1. Current research and documentation identifies extra barriers impeding the successful integration of adolescent newcomers, such as language, racism and interrupted schooling;
  2. Canada's social and economic resources are increased when newcomer youth become equal participants in Canadian society;
  3. Completion of formal education, labour force participation and economic self-sufficiency are essential to equal participation;
  4. There is a lack of adequate programming for adolescent newcomers to address identified barriers;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR write to the Federal Ministers of Human Resources Development and Citizenship and Immigration, asking that they accord immigrant and refugee youth a high priority in Federal Government program development and funding.

Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

Clearing house

Resolution number
1
Whereas
  1. The "10 Year Framework" refers to the creation of a National Clearing House or Information Sharing Network on Settlement;
  2. CCR is the national organization representing NGOs serving newcomers to Canada;
Therefore be it resolved

That the CCR:

  1. Enter into discussions with C&I with the intention of housing this initiative;
  2. The Executive Committee be authorized to submit a proposal to C&I for the establishment and operation of an independent clearing house for settlement-related research, information and documentation.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement

Death of the sponsor

Resolution number
3
Whereas
  1. CIC stops processing a permanent resident application upon the death of the applicant, and stops processing a sponsorship application upon the death of the sponsor;
  2. Stopping the process affects family members who are included as dependants in the application;
  3. Canada has an obligation to consider the best interests of affected children and act in accordance with humanitarian and compassionate principles.
Therefore be it resolved

that the CCR call on CIC, in the case of the death of the sponsor or principal applicant, to ensure that:

  1. The permanent residence application is processed to completion taking into account the best interests of the child and other humanitarian and compassionate considerations.
  2. If the persons concerned are in Canada this processing be completed prior to potential removal.
Working Group
Immigration and Settlement
Subject
Family reunification
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