Canada to scrap one option for resettlement of refugees

Canada, 22nd March: A new proposal has been made by Canada immigration minister Jason Kenney for abolishing one of the three options for resettlement of refugees in the nation.

As per the current Canada immigration rules, foreigners residing in designated nations are allowed to make direct application for seeking refugee status in Canada from those nations under the source-country class.

The government of Canada has clarified that the changes in the rules for resettlement of refugees in Canada will have a highest affect on Eritreans and Colombians.

And the changed rules mean reallocation of refugee spaces earlier allotted to the source-nation class back to the convention-refugee-abroad class. Under the convention class, resettlement of refugees residing outside their nation of origin is done by Canada under the UN (United Nations) human rights commissioner.

Who is eligible now under the source-country class---?

Processing of the applications approved under the source-country class will be done. Applications of the candidates who successfully fulfill the criteria will be granted visas.

In case of the applications not approved in principle, reassessment of such applications will be done under the remaining classes of refugee resettlement. Applicants who are not successful in getting visas but feel they require refugee protection will get referred to the UN human rights commissioner.

Aim of the change in refugee resettlement rules—

The aim of the Canadian government is to make source-country class more efficient and effective. The government had written in a review done in the year 2009 of the source-country class that the source-country class was meant to be flexible for allowing humanitarian intervention enabling to respond to varied circumstances and populations.

Eliminating the class will shut the door for many---

Executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees, Janet Dench, said such a step will shut the door for those who have difficulties in moving out of their nations for applying for refugee status in Canada. It will leave them with the only option of moving into the hands of human-smugglers.

Under the source-country class, prospective refugees from few designated nations are allowed to seek refugee status in Canada even without leaving their respective nations.

Among the nations designated for the source-country class include Sudan, EI Salvador, Guatemala, Columbia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone and Sudan. Dench maintained that the fault lies not in the source-country class but in the inefficiency of the government for its proper functioning.