Overseas Protection and Resettlement

That the CCR urge the Government of Canada to:

1. Support the safe and voluntary repatriation of remaining Rwandan refugees in Zaire, Tanzania and Burundi under close supervision of NGOs and international bodies such as the UNHCR and UNCHR.
2. Exercise influence and push for firm and coordinated international action to create a favourable atmosphere for repatriation by:
   a) Helping the Rwandan government and international NGOs in Rwanda to continue with community economic development projects by providing financial and technical assistance.
   b) Diminishing the degree of fear of refugees to repatriation by urging the Government of Rwanda to end human rights violations.
   c) Cooperate with foreign donors in order to provide logistical and financial assistance to rebuild the Rwandan judicial system.
   d) Influence the Rwandan government to quickly begin trials.
3. Extend financial, logistical and moral support to the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda based in Arusha, Tanzania, and influence the governments of Zaire, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and Cameroons to cooperate with this Tribunal to ensure that criminals are brought to justice.
4. Support a concerted political action to force the government of Zaire to stop permitting the former Rwandan government's militia and the forces of interhamwe, responsible for the 1994 genocide, from using Zairian territory for military operations against the government of national reconciliation in Rwanda.

That the CCR:

1. Encourage the IRB to develop guidelines for the Immigration Appeal Division and the Convention Refugee Determination Division appertaining to the best interests of children in light of the principle of family reunification and Canada's international legal obligations, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Hague Convention on adoptions;
2. Urge the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to adopt and implement the guidelines so developed for both inland and visa office cases.

That the CCR:

1. Urge Citizenship and Immigration:
   (i)to allow private sponsors in Canada to retain their ability to identify and refer refugees for consideration for resettlement to Canada as CR5s under the Joint Assistance and Women at Risk Programs;
   (ii)not to oblige private sponsors, in making the referral, to provide a CR3 undertaking at the time of referral as is described in the Operations Memorandum "Refugee and Humanitarian Resettlement Program: in Canada": and to revise the Operations Memorandum to reflect this, especially in Sections 8.4, 9.2.1 and 9.2.2;
2. Request the NGO-Government Committee on the Private Sponsorship of Refugees to support this resolution;
3. Request that CIC enter into consultation with private sponsors and other stakeholders to seek ways to address the issues of concern currently hampering the referral of named refugees under the CR5 Program.

That:

1. The CCR call on CIC to form an Adhoc Committee to begin the process of developing a Canadian resettlement program blending the assistance of CIC, private groups and settlement services;
2. The Adhoc Committee include a) the NGO-Government Committee on the Private Sponsorship of Refugees; b) representatives selected by the CCR Working Groups on Overseas Protection and Sponsorship and representatives selected by the CCR Working Group on Settlement; as well as c) other possible resource people and stakeholders.

That the CCR:

1. Call on the Canadian Government to expand its language training program in Pakistan for refugee women coming to Canada so that they are not limited to refugees admitted under the Focus Humanitarian Program;
2. Remind the Government of Canada of its Resolution 7 of November 1995 and urge CIDA to assist Afghan refugee women in Pakistan by establishing income generating projects;
3. Remind Citizenship and Immigration of its Resolution 12 of November 1996 and the need to respond to the situation of Afghan refugee women through expedited processing.

That the CCR urge the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to:

1. Ensure that Canada's response to its international obligations with respect to refugees such as women at risk is unambiguous and independent of voluntary cash contributions from the Canadians who are willing to make possible resettlement by the government in other ways;
2. Introduce clarity into refugee resettlement programs so that Canadians who come forward to assist the government can predict the costs before they begin and do not suddenly face requests for cash contributions for travel costs.

That the CCR:

1. Obtain from the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration broad based statistical information on refusals of privately sponsored applications.
2. Request that the Minister put in place policy which requires visa posts to give sponsoring groups and refugee applicants detailed reasons for the refusal of an application.

That the CCR:

1. Write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and ask that the number of government-assisted refugees from Guatemala be increased and that she direct her department to take note of the worsening human rights situation in Guatemala when considering risk assessments, humanitarian and compassionate applications and deferring removals.
2. Write to the government of Guatemala to demand that they protect the 110 members of REMHI and workers at the Human Rights Office of the Catholic Archdiocese.
3. Write to the Minister of Foreign Affairs asking him to protest to the Guatemalan government at the murder of Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera and to pressure the Guatemalan government to protect the REMHI members and Human Rights Office workers.

That the CCR:

1. Write to the UNHCR and ask them to monitor the treatment of Christian Assyrians by the Jordanian and Turkish governments.
2. Write to the Turkish and Jordanian authorities and ask that they protect refugees in their countries.
3. Write to the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and request that her department meet with the Assyrian Christian community and help them sponsor Assyrian refugees to Canada.

That the CCR:

1. Demand that the Government of Canada put special emphasis immediately on Colombian nationals at risk of human rights violations, including expediting the processing of persons applying through the Humanitarian Designated (Source Country) class;
2. Urge the Government of Canada to strongly condemn the serious and escalating human rights violations in Colombia in all international and regional fora and in particular:
   a) request the UN Human Rights Commission convene a special session on Colombia;
   b) raise concerns about Colombia at the next meeting of the OAS general assembly;
3. Urge the Government of Canada to cease all sales of military equipment to Colombia, including all "dual purpose" equipment that could have military application.