Today there are about 231.5 million international migrants in the world - three percent of the global population.
The Harper government is hoping to make banishment a more regular activity now that their Bill C-24 "Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act" has become law. It raises the bar for acquiring citizenship and allows it to be revoked by a parliamentary minister, with no possible appeal in court.
Josh Paterson, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said in a press release: “In Canada, lawfully obtained citizenship has always been permanent — once a Canadian, always a Canadian — and all Canadians have always had equal citizenship rights. This bill turns the whole idea of being Canadian upside-down, so that the Canadian citizenship of some people will be worth less than the Canadian citizenship of others. That is wrong.”
The new law weakens the bonds of citizenship, potentially threatening the very essence of citizenship. Someone found guilty of treason, high treason, espionage or terrorism can have his citizenship revoked without even the benefit of a judicial hearing. If the citizen has a connection to a foreign country, the minister may send a letter advising that his citizenship is under review. If the citizen fails to respond — or fails to respond sufficiently, in the minister’s estimation — he will be on a plane out of Canada to whatever country we can send him. In cases where the citizen believes he or she would thus be stateless, the onus is on the citizen to prove that he or she “is not a citizen of any country of which the minister has reasonable grounds to believe the person is a citizen.” You will be excused if you mistakenly think this law targets foreign-born Canadians. Such targeting is implied, but even native-born Canadians could be deported. Under the guise of “strengthening” citizenship, citizenship is deeply compromised. Upon seeing the words “treason” or “terrorism”, we may wave away concerns about the over-zealous application of this law. No one wants terrorists running loose in Canada. Unfortunately, the language of the law affords the government with the power to strip Canadian citizenship for not only traitors, but political activists, as well. If a citizen were to be labelled a terrorist by a foreign nation — perhaps the United States, Britain or Israel — the powers of expulsion would kick in.
The legal profession , the Canadian Bar Association, explains “we oppose expansion of the grounds to revoke and bar citizenship. Removing citizenship is one of the most serious consequences that a society may impose, and should remain an exceptional process.” They point out that the law “ maintains the risk of statelessness for some persons. It is possible for a child born abroad to be excluded from Canadian citizenship and yet have no claim to citizenship in the country where they were born. Many countries restrict giving citizenship to a child born there who has foreign national parents. A child born abroad to Canadian parents may be stateless...”
Rejected refugee claimants — and refugee claimants from countries the government considers safe — are eligible under the new law for medical care only when they pose a threat to public health. That means no coverage for heart problems, pregnancy, infant vaccinations, diabetes, and any other ailments that threaten the health of the refugee but aren't a risk to public health.
The distinction between what the government calls "bogus" and "genuine" refugees has drawn substantial criticism from opponents of its immigration and refugee system reforms. The Federal Court found the government's treatment of refugees is "cruel and unusual" because it jeopardizes their health and shocks the conscience of Canadians. Judge Anne Mactavish ruled "The 2012 modifications to the [Interim Federal Health Program] potentially jeopardize the health, the safety and indeed the very lives, of these innocent and vulnerable children in a manner that shocks the conscience and outrages Canadian standards of decency. I have found as a fact that lives are being put at risk." Mactavish wrote in her ruling that there is "no persuasive evidence to show that the changes to the eligibility and coverage provisions of the IFHP have served to deter unmeritorious claims, thereby reducing the cost of the program."
Dr. Philip Berger, co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care accused government ministers of pre-judging clims. “They've [asylum seekers] not had a determination yet, yet through some clairvoyant power of deduction, Minister Alexander seems to know that they're bogus before they've had their hearing. Perhaps he can explain that finally after the last year of accusing all refugee claimants of being bogus."
Ottawa doctor Doug Gruner said Alexander isn't being truthful with Canadians when he says the policy only affects failed refugee claimants. Gruner calls the changes "horrific."
"That's 100 per cent false information. Not only does this policy affect all refugee claimants, of which almost half become Canadian citizens, it also affects refugees that come here as landed immigrants, soon to become Canadian citizens. These are the privately sponsored refugees. They're sponsored by church groups and other social organizations in conjunction with the federal government of Canada. And when they come here, this policy is preventing them from accessing health care."
From here
The Harper government is hoping to make banishment a more regular activity now that their Bill C-24 "Strengthening Canadian Citizenship Act" has become law. It raises the bar for acquiring citizenship and allows it to be revoked by a parliamentary minister, with no possible appeal in court.
Josh Paterson, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association, said in a press release: “In Canada, lawfully obtained citizenship has always been permanent — once a Canadian, always a Canadian — and all Canadians have always had equal citizenship rights. This bill turns the whole idea of being Canadian upside-down, so that the Canadian citizenship of some people will be worth less than the Canadian citizenship of others. That is wrong.”
The new law weakens the bonds of citizenship, potentially threatening the very essence of citizenship. Someone found guilty of treason, high treason, espionage or terrorism can have his citizenship revoked without even the benefit of a judicial hearing. If the citizen has a connection to a foreign country, the minister may send a letter advising that his citizenship is under review. If the citizen fails to respond — or fails to respond sufficiently, in the minister’s estimation — he will be on a plane out of Canada to whatever country we can send him. In cases where the citizen believes he or she would thus be stateless, the onus is on the citizen to prove that he or she “is not a citizen of any country of which the minister has reasonable grounds to believe the person is a citizen.” You will be excused if you mistakenly think this law targets foreign-born Canadians. Such targeting is implied, but even native-born Canadians could be deported. Under the guise of “strengthening” citizenship, citizenship is deeply compromised. Upon seeing the words “treason” or “terrorism”, we may wave away concerns about the over-zealous application of this law. No one wants terrorists running loose in Canada. Unfortunately, the language of the law affords the government with the power to strip Canadian citizenship for not only traitors, but political activists, as well. If a citizen were to be labelled a terrorist by a foreign nation — perhaps the United States, Britain or Israel — the powers of expulsion would kick in.
The legal profession , the Canadian Bar Association, explains “we oppose expansion of the grounds to revoke and bar citizenship. Removing citizenship is one of the most serious consequences that a society may impose, and should remain an exceptional process.” They point out that the law “ maintains the risk of statelessness for some persons. It is possible for a child born abroad to be excluded from Canadian citizenship and yet have no claim to citizenship in the country where they were born. Many countries restrict giving citizenship to a child born there who has foreign national parents. A child born abroad to Canadian parents may be stateless...”
Rejected refugee claimants — and refugee claimants from countries the government considers safe — are eligible under the new law for medical care only when they pose a threat to public health. That means no coverage for heart problems, pregnancy, infant vaccinations, diabetes, and any other ailments that threaten the health of the refugee but aren't a risk to public health.
The distinction between what the government calls "bogus" and "genuine" refugees has drawn substantial criticism from opponents of its immigration and refugee system reforms. The Federal Court found the government's treatment of refugees is "cruel and unusual" because it jeopardizes their health and shocks the conscience of Canadians. Judge Anne Mactavish ruled "The 2012 modifications to the [Interim Federal Health Program] potentially jeopardize the health, the safety and indeed the very lives, of these innocent and vulnerable children in a manner that shocks the conscience and outrages Canadian standards of decency. I have found as a fact that lives are being put at risk." Mactavish wrote in her ruling that there is "no persuasive evidence to show that the changes to the eligibility and coverage provisions of the IFHP have served to deter unmeritorious claims, thereby reducing the cost of the program."
Dr. Philip Berger, co-founder of Canadian Doctors for Refugee Care accused government ministers of pre-judging clims. “They've [asylum seekers] not had a determination yet, yet through some clairvoyant power of deduction, Minister Alexander seems to know that they're bogus before they've had their hearing. Perhaps he can explain that finally after the last year of accusing all refugee claimants of being bogus."
Ottawa doctor Doug Gruner said Alexander isn't being truthful with Canadians when he says the policy only affects failed refugee claimants. Gruner calls the changes "horrific."
"That's 100 per cent false information. Not only does this policy affect all refugee claimants, of which almost half become Canadian citizens, it also affects refugees that come here as landed immigrants, soon to become Canadian citizens. These are the privately sponsored refugees. They're sponsored by church groups and other social organizations in conjunction with the federal government of Canada. And when they come here, this policy is preventing them from accessing health care."
From here
No comments:
Post a Comment