Humanitarian, Refugees and Foreign Affairs

CTV News: Syrian human rights defender becomes a permanent resident of Canada after being flagged as a security risk

On June 30, two NDP members of Parliament sent a letter with an urgent request for a briefing on the case to federal ministers responsible for foreign affairs, immigration and public safety.

In a copy of the letter provided to CTV News, MPs Heather McPherson and Jenny Kwan wrote that they “are alarmed by this case and its implications not just for Noura, but for all human rights defenders seeking safety in Canada.

Is it this government’s position that human rights advocacy, including opposing brutal dictatorships that torture their citizens renders a person inadmissible for permanent residency?”

Five days later, Aljizawi was granted permanent residency on July 5. Since her case became public, Aljizawi says she’s heard from three other democracy activists who are facing scrutiny under Section 34.

Kwan, the NDP’s immigration critic, says that Aljizawi’s high profile added pressure on the government to act. But the MP says she also worries that lesser known human rights activists under similar suspicion will not be protected.

Kwan says immigration officials need to reassess how they use Section 34 in evaluating the applications of human rights defenders

 

Province: Opposition MPs demand answers on why security risks were allowed into Canada

OTTAWA – Opposition parties say the fact the government allowed half of foreign nationals red-flagged as security risks into the country between 2014 and 2019 is shocking and erodes Canadians’ trust in the immigration system.

“This is very concerning and undermines trust and confidence of Canada’s immigration process,” NDP MP and Immigration critic Jenny Kwan said in a statement Tuesday.

She was responding to a National Post report Tuesday morning that between 2014 and 2019, 46 per cent of foreign nationals flagged by security agencies to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for ties to serious offences such as war crimes, espionage and terrorism were allowed to take up residency in Canada.

HANSARD: With Supreme Court ruling, will Liberals expand the exemption in the Safe Country Agreement for people fearing gender-based persecution?

Media Release: NDP reacts to the Supreme Court decision regarding the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA)

“Today’s Supreme Court of Canada's decision regarding the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) is a partial victory for advocates for asylum seekers' rights.

The Canadian Council for Refugees, Amnesty International, Canadian Council of Churches and others challenged the Liberal government in the Supreme Court stating that the STCA violates Section 7, related to right to life, liberty and security of a person, and section 15, related to equality rights within the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

In their decision, the Supreme Court of Canada stated that Section 15 on equality rights are just as important as every other human right and ruled that this challenge to the STCA should be sent back to the Federal Court for determination.

In particular, girls, women and 2SLGTBQIA+ people fearing gender-based persecution are adversely affected by the Safe Third Country Agreement. Even the government’s own lawyers acknowledged that the recent expansion of the STCA could increase the risks of human trafficking and sexual violence often disproportionately targeted at migrant women, girls, and 2SLGTBQIA+ people. They further noted that an urgent exemption for those faced with gender-based persecution is needed.

CIMM#71: Exploitation Scheme Targeting Certain International Students

"With respect to the announcement that the minister made, I'd like to get a clarification on the issue around the inadmissibility based on misrepresentation. The minister said just now that the students who are victims would not be subjected to the five-year ban. Could the minister clarify whether that would mean the record of inadmissibility based on misrepresentation will be erased from their file?”

"Okay. I hope that when it comes to that, it would actually work that way for those students. What I'm worried about is that when you have that bad record, so to speak, that dark mark next to your name, sometimes an official who's processing the application will still say that there's misrepresentation on the record. I want to flag that as a concern, because we obviously would not want to have a second chapter to this issue down the road.

Now, there are students who are in a situation where they have been issued a removal order and they have filed to the Federal Court but, for example, have not yet had the hearing. They are waiting. There are those who have filed and who have been rejected, for example. There are those who have made an application to have their work permit extended, let's say, and they're now out of status but waiting to see what's going to happen to them.

Is the minister saying that with this new task force, those individuals should not worry about all of those outcomes and that their case will be assessed under the new task force?”

HANSARD: Would the Liberal member support the call for the government to lift the arbitrary Afghan cap?

HANSARD: Order questions on Ocean Lady and Sun Sea ships refugees

Globe: Critics question Harjit Sajjan’s revelation he didn’t check e-mail during fall of Afghanistan

Asked by The Globe on Parliament Hill Thursday to clarify what he said, Mr. Sajjan declined to answer questions, saying he was late for a meeting.

During Question Period on Thursday, NDP MP Jenny Kwan called the revelations shocking. “Does the Prime Minister really think this is acceptable?” she asked.

Neither the Prime Minister nor Mr. Sajjan were at Question Period, leaving Immigration Minister Sean Fraser to respond. He defended the government’s response to the crisis in Afghanistan, saying Canada helped to save thousands of lives through its evacuation efforts.

HANSARD: Does the Prime Minister really think Minister Sajjan’s incompetence is acceptable?

CIMM#61: Obtaining info from Minister Sajjin on the issuing of unauthorized facilitation letters to Afghans

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP

More specifically, I want to get the emails related to this particular issue because I think the heart of the matter is going to be important. Throughout her testimony, the senator indicated that a variety of ministers were aware and were copied on the emails and that at no point was she advised to cease and desist. If, in fact, that is true, I think that's important information for the committee to receive.

The other issue that was indicated by the senator was that there was a small group of people in an email exchange initiated by the then minister Monsef, and your former chief of staff George Young was part of that communication. Minister, could you advise us whether you were copied on that exchange initiated by Minister Monsef?

Harjit S. Sajjan Vancouver South, BC, Liberal

As I said, I'm not aware of those emails. I'm sure that if those emails are there, they will be forwarded to you by Senator McPhedran and others.

Jenny Kwan Vancouver East, BC, NDP

May I also ask, then, for you to review the email exchanges in your personal account—because we were advised that this was sent to the minister's personal account—and bring forward correspondence related to this email initiated by Minister Monsef and the communication back and forth related to it?

The senator also indicated that she had copied ministers on a rolling list of names of Afghans who received the revised facilitation letter, so I'll ask this question as well, Minister: Did you, at any point in time, pick up emails with the names of Afghans who, it was indicated, would be receiving or had received these facilitation letters?