Humanitarian, Refugees and Foreign Affairs

MEDIA RELEASE: NDP reacts to government's decision related to the Safe Third Country Agreement

“The NDP is deeply disturbed to learn that Prime Minister Trudeau and the Liberal government announced an expansion of the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) to the entire Canada-US border, following discussions with President Biden, which came into effect at 12:01 am on March 25, 2023. This new agreement will expand the STCA to apply beyond official ports of entry, to the entire length of the Canada-US border, further denying asylum seekers a viable path to safety.

Given the widespread human rights implications of this decision, the NDP is also alarmed to learn these secretive negotiations took place without any consultation from stakeholders and experts. Further, this more restrictive agreement between Canada and the US was signed in secret back in Ottawa on March 29, 2022, while a case was already before the Supreme Court of Canada. This is shocking and appalling.

CIM#55: Inquiring about the challenges faced by Afghans with the Foreign Affairs Minister and officials

"In the minister's introduction, she talked about the laws that need to be changed. The bill has been introduced. Recommendation 11 of the Afghanistan special committee calls for the government to “review the anti-terrorism financing provisions under the Criminal Code and urgently take any legislative steps necessary to ensure those provisions do not unduly restrict legitimate humanitarian action that complies with international humanitarian principles and law.”

Doctors Without Borders has raised a concern. They do not support the changes tabled by the government. They are instead encouraging the government to enact a full humanitarian exemption, as recommended by their committee. They say the idea that someone could be charged with a crime for providing medical care to a patient in a hospital during a conflict is ridiculous and out of step with the international humanitarian law that explicitly prohibits punishing a person for upholding medical ethics:

The legislation proposed by Canada today requires humanitarian organizations to seek permission from the Canadian government before we send medical staff to respond to some humanitarian crises—what happens if they say no? Do we walk away from maternity hospitals or primary health clinics? The Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law clearly state that countries have an obligation to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance and a duty to not criminalize the work performed according to medical ethics, yet that's exactly what this legislation does.

That's a quote from Jason Nickerson, humanitarian representative to Canada, Doctors Without Borders.

My question to the minister is this: Why didn't the government put in the full humanitarian exemption?”

This petition asks Canada to grant asylum to transgender people from the U.S. Could it work?

Some Democrat-led states are taking steps to protect transgender and non-binary people, especially young people. This month, for example, Minnesota Gov.Tim Walz signed an executive order to protect the rights of LGBTQ people in the state. A bill tabled by Minnesota's first openly transgender lawmaker also aims to make the state a "trans refuge state." 

NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan, who supports the reasons for the petition, said she's not sure travelling to different regions within a home country will be feasible for everyone. There are also uncertainties about whether that's a viable long-term option.

"These are ongoing concerns," she said. "If they [go] to yet another state, maybe the laws there will also change.”

Media Release: Open Letter to Immigration Minister on immigration measure for Hong Kong

The NDP is therefore calling on the government to apply this extension and expansion to the Permanent Residency stream for Hong Kongers. This is a gap that must be filled to ensure Hong Kongers have a sustainable pathway to safety.

In addition, I urge the government to lift the criminal record check requirements for individuals accused of violating the national security law or in the very minimum substitute that requirement with an alternate means to satisfy public safety concerns. This is an essential component to ensure the pathway to safety is workable on the ground for applications. As you could anticipate, for those who are being persecuted for violation of the national security law,

CBC: An Afghan military interpreter made it to Canada — but his siblings were forced back to Afghanistan

"What we're hearing on the ground from people is that people are getting deported, they are not getting to safety," the NDP's Jenny Kwan said.

Her party is calling on the Canadian government to lift the 40,000 cap on the number of Afghans it wants to bring here, calling it an arbitrary limit.

CIMM#51: Conditions Faced by Asylum-Seekers (In Camera Meeting)

CIMM#49: Questioning Immigration Minister on Afghan file

CIMM#49: Inquiring about the challenges faced by Afghans with the Immigration Minister and IRCC officials

"Thank you very much, Madam Chair, and thank you to the minister and officials for coming to the committee today.

On the Afghan file, I would first like to touch on the issue around the cultural interpreters. They've been excluded from the program, and it requires legal counsel representing the families to take the matter to court. I think that, just before we started this meeting, one of the cultural advisers spoke with you about the lack of action from the government.

From that perspective, why is it that cultural advisers are excluded? I know there's work in place to try to include them, but there are still extended family members who are excluded, who are being targeted and hunted down by the Taliban because of their work for Canada.

Will the minister confirm that the extended family members of the cultural advisers will be brought to safety?”

HANSARD: Canada should stop incarcerating migrants and asylum seekers in jails

Media Release: Expansion and extension of Lifeboat scheme for Hong Kongers step in the right direction but more needs to be done

Right from the beginning, Kwan and advocates for Hong Kongers had pointed out to the Liberal government that the 5-year graduation rule meant that many Hong Kongers would not be eligible under the program. This was proven to be the case when it was revealed that as of the end of October last year, only 134 Hong Kongers had come to Canada under the lifeboat scheme.
"Since the lifeboat scheme was first announced in November 2020, I continually brought the concerns directly to the attention of the Immigration Minister.  I spoke with him directly, had the issue studied by the Standing Committee on Citizenship, Immigration, and Refugees (CIMM) and most recently, CIMM issued a press release calling for action.  Today's announcement is a step in the right direction.  However, more needs to be done", added Kwan.
Hong Kong officials are working hard to promote the message that Hong Kong is returning to normal, however, the Hong Kong government is still aggressively using the national security law to persecute dissidents, journalists and including those who participated in the primary election of the Legislative Council.   Too many Hong Kongers find themselves accused of violating the national security law.  For the lifeboat scheme to be effective, the Canadian government recognize this and lift the criminal record check requirement for these Hong Kongers.