News Release – Balanced Refugee Reform Passes Final Hurdle in the Senate, Launches Summer Tour to Promote Refugee Resettlement

Ottawa, June 29, 2010 — Today, Jason Kenney, Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism marked another milestone as Bill C-11, the Balanced Refugee Reform Act was passed by the Senate late last night. Bill C-11 now awaits Royal Assent. The passage of the Balanced Refugee Reform Act by the Senate was a collaborative effort by all parties, which led to the acceptance of a series of amendments and all-party support in both the House of Commons and the Senate.

“While Canada already has one of the most generous refugee systems in the world, these reforms would lead to faster protection for victims of torture and persecution, and faster removal of failed asylum claimants including those who try to abuse Canada’s generosity,” said Minister Kenney. “Failed asylum claimants would have access to a new fact-based appeal at the Refugee Appeal Division, while taxpayers would save an estimated $1.8 billion over 5 years because failed claimants would no longer be able to stay in Canada for years.”

Minister Kenney also highlighted the new fast-track tools included in the Act, which would allow the government to accelerate the treatment of asylum claims for nationals of designated countries, and individuals whose claims are clearly fraudulent.

“Since proposing these reforms, our government has insisted on a tool to address waves of false asylum claims coming from safe, democratic countries. These reforms would allow us to fast-track the consideration of such claims, as well as those determined as “manifestly unfounded” by the Immigration and Refugee Board. Failed claimants in the fast-track stream would be subject to removal from Canada in a matter of months, which will be a key tool in protecting the integrity of Canada's immigration and refugee systems,” said Minister Kenney.

Minister Kenney also announced the launch of a summer tour to highlight the planned increases in resettlement of refugees to Canada from abroad. “By reducing the abuse of our asylum system by failed asylum claimants, we would be able to devote more resources to those most in need of Canada's protection. That's why we have decided to increase the number of resettled refugees by 20%, or 2,500 refugees per year,” the Minister said.

“Throughout the summer, I will be asking groups within Canadian civil society, such as faith-based organizations, to redouble their efforts to help provide new homes for refugees who are victims of torture, ethnic cleansing, and persecution. We will also be increasing assistance for Government-Assisted Refugees through a 20% increase to the Resettlement Assistance Program, and we are providing more resources to increase the capacity of Sponsorship Agreement Holders (SAHs) who do such good work. But I believe that civil society can do more, just as the government is.”

Kenney pointed to two groups who could benefit from the planned resettlement increase: refugees from Iraq who are fleeing persecution, and gays, lesbians, and dissidents who have had to flee Iran. “This summer I will be calling on community groups to do more to assist the large number of persecution victims from sectarian violence in Iraq, as well as gays and dissidents from Iran who have had to flee the threat of persecution by the Iranian regime.”

For more information on the new asylum system, visit the CIC website.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Celyeste Power
Press Secretary
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada

Media Relations Unit
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca

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Backgrounder

• Bill C-11: The Balanced Refugee Reform Act