­ Before Daniel Igali famously earned Canada wrestling glory by winning its first Olympic gold in the sport, he was a young Nigerian athlete grappling for a superior position in life.

After competing at the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, B.C., the 20-year-old made a bold move. He skipped his team’s flight back to his politically unstable homeland and asked Canada for asylum.

Had it not been for an international sporting event, Igali might never have been handed a ticket to more prosperous soil. But once here, he gained the right to Canadian protection as a Convention Refugee.

When the world heads to Vancouver next month for the 2010 Winter Olympics, thousands of athletes, coaches, officials, sponsors, workers, journalists and their delegations will enter Canada under unique circumstances. Some might want to claim the Maple Leaf as their own.

“Athletes, team members, people involved with the Games might not have otherwise gained a visa to enter Canada but for the Games,” said Audrey Macklin, who teaches immigration and refugee law at the University of Toronto.

Under the Olympic Charter, people designated as Olympic Family Members needn’t show the usual visa to travel here. Instead, they’ll be admitted under a special application process handled by the Vancouver Olympic Committee, which will submit those names to Citizenship and Immigration Canada. There is also a special process of entry for accredited workers.

While some consider Canada’s immigration policy to be liberal, government officials routinely deny access to people from nations known for persecution in order to avoid taking them in as refugee claimants, Macklin said.

“In the case of the Olympics, of course, there is some pressure on Canada not to do that because the Olympic Games are supposed to be a symbol of international harmony and co-operation,” she said.

While defections by athletes from the Eastern Bloc were common during the Cold War, refugee claims continue to be made even now during international events hosted by Canada.

More..

Incoming search terms:

• refugee moves to Canada

Fifty per cent more people were deported from Canada last year than a decade ago — proof the system is getting too aggressive with who it gives the boot, says one local immigration lawyer.

Figures from the Canada Border Services Agency show deportations from the country have spiked to 12,732 removed last year, compared to 8,361 in 1999.

While three-quarters of deportations were failed refugee claimants, the rest were removed on criminal or security grounds.

But Calgary immigration lawyer Bjorn Harsanyi says while more people are entering Canada who could be claiming refugee status, he believes the numbers speak to a more aggressive system.

“I do think there is a greater enforcement mandate in immigration and that means willing to deport anyone who is eligible to be removed without exercise of discretion to keep them here,” he said.

“If they can remove them any way, they will.

“I’ve seen many people on the verge of deportation when I don’t think they should be deported.”

The government explains the spike in deportations as the logical result of a jump in refugee applications — 35,000 refugee claims last year and the government says the system can only handle 25,000.

Spokesman for Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said problems with the refugee system will be addressed in upcoming reforms.

More..

Incoming search terms:

• bjorn harsanyi
• canadian deportation figures
• bjorn harsanyi lawyer
• canada deportation number
• in what year did immigration skyrocket in Canada?
• on the deportation of immigration in canada

With the prospect of a fall election fading fast, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney says he now aims to unveil before Christmas a package of reforms to fix a ‘broken’ refugee system that costs Canadian taxpayers an estimated $29,000 for each claimant going through the system.

Kenney, who only last week said the reforms were on ‘indefinite hold’ because of the constant election threats, told a parliamentary committee Tuesday the reform package is on track for the fall.

Although he declined to provide specifics, Kenney said the reforms are designed to speed a refugee claims process that now can take five or more years and also crack down on phoney immigration consultants charging large amounts of money to help bogus refugees get into Canada.

The current backlog is 60,000 claims, and slightly less than half the refugee claims made in Canada are accepted.

Talk of an election has almost evaporated on Parliament Hill since the NDP said it would support the Harper government until employment insurance reforms are enacted.

This means the government has a period of relative stability to roll out some policy initiatives.

Kenney told the Commons citizenship and immigration committee the cumbersome system for handling refugee claims, which includes the right to appeal to the Federal Court of Canada at three separate stages, is ‘an advertisement for people to come and abuse the system.’

He said Canada wants to keep the door open wide for genuine refugees fleeing persecution while closing it quickly for fraudulent claimants who take advantage of the country’s generous system of multiple appeal channels to stay in Canada for years.

More..

OTTAWA ­ The Harper government is readying for Parliament a package of reforms that for the first time could have Canada fast-tracking refugee claimants from countries where citizens are generally thought to be safe from persecution.

Though the proposal has yet to get the final nod from cabinet, Martin Collacott, a former Canadian diplomat who specializes in immigration issues, says such a move is long overdue.

“We are the only country in the world that will consider a (claim) from someone coming from the United States, from the Philippines, from Thailand, from South Korea,” said Collacott, a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute.

The proposal envisions senior immigration officers hearing the refugee claimants from safe countries more quickly, thereby easing the load on the Immigration and Refugee Board. There would still be an appeal option, but it would be more streamlined than at present and would not necessarily involve another hearing.

As it stands now, it takes an average of 17 months before a claim is heard by the Immigration and Refugee Board. Once the board makes a decision, claimants can launch appeals that can last for years before the claimant is finally deported.

“Essentially, an unsuccessful claimant who is determined to game the system can stay in Canada for several years with a work permit and/or welfare benefits, and this fundamentally undermines the fairness of our immigration system,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said.

The stepped-up talk of reform follows a months-long, carefully orchestrated campaign, led by Kenney, to focus attention on a refugee system that almost everyone agrees needs repair.

The campaign picked up steam last month, when Canada slapped visa requirements on visitors from Mexico and the Czech Republic, and climaxed when Prime Minister Stephen Harper sang a “blame Canada” tune while personally explaining to Mexican President Felipe Calderon why the Canadian government was forced to resort to such an unpopular move.

More..

Canada’s immigration and refugee system is broken. The Immigration and Refugee Act is innately flawed and has created a dangerously dysfunctional immigration system in Canada. The law is fraught with loopholes and lax rules that encourage fraud, pose security threats to Canada and facilitate illegal immigration while creating roadblocks to legitimate refugee claimants and immigrants.

Thousands of permanent residents and Canadians have been victims of immigration fraud as a result.

I know about this. As a former member of the Immigration and Refugee Board and an experienced immigration lawyer, whose clients include refugee claimants, family sponsors, and immigration applicants, I have first-hand knowledge of Canada’s immigration system.

More..

Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Canada Minister Jason Kenney said that the Conservative government is open to creating a refugee appeal board, and that he wants to work with the opposition parties to develop a new model that will alleviate the backlog in the processing of refugee claims.

Currently, the Federal Court is responsible for hearing appeals from refugee claimants on their cases. They may appeal decisions at every step of the application process, which sometimes results in delays of several years in the finalizing of their cases.

Two opposition parties, the New Democratic Party and the Bloc Quebecois Party have been pushing for the creation of a refugee appeal board; something they say will automatically reduce cases that the Federal Court would have to hear.

Kenney said that he is hopeful that the parties can come together to agree on a model for a streamlined system.

“I’m hopeful that reasonable people from across the political spectrum can actually settle on a consensus, on a model of refugee reform that completely respects our charter obligations and our international obligations to protect persecuted persons, while reducing dramatically the abuse of our system,” Kenney said.

Kenney said that this kind of appeal board would only work under a reformed refugee intake process.

According to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, there was an increase of 30 per cent in the number of asylum claims in Canada last year alone, and that number continues to rise.  In 2008, there were 65,000 refugee claims that were awaiting finalization in the system, compared to 23,000 in 2006.

Kenney said that the volume of claims that turn out to be false plays a large part in the current backlog of claims awaiting resolution.

“It’s now taking us sometimes years to see a false asylum claim through to its completion,” said Kenney. “That’s not acceptable. It’s creating huge backlogs and waiting times that’s unfair to real victims of persecution.”

Incoming search terms:

• citizenship and immigration canada schedule 2
• apply to the federal court for a refugee appeal
• canadian immigration citizenship delay due to move
• How to appeal im refugee claim in canada
• schedule2 for canada immigration

Canada will lift a ban on deporting illegal immigrants to Burundi, Liberia and Rwanda after an internal review showed “improved conditions” in those countries, the federal government has announced.

“After a thorough review of country conditions and consultations with stakeholders, the government is lifting the suspension of removals to these three countries,” said a statement from Public Safety Minister Peter Van Loan issued Thursday evening.

“The removal of individuals who are not lawfully in Canada is key to maintaining the integrity of the immigration program and to ensuring fairness for those who live in this country lawfully.”

Up to 2,100 people in Canada could be affected by the lifting of the deportation ban, or “temporary suspension of removals” (TSR). The change is effective immediately.

Refugee applicants from those countries will not be deported while their claims are being assessed.

The government points out such deportation bans are always temporary and are lifted “when conditions in the country improve and there is no longer a generalized risk.”

The bans have been in place for Burundi and Rwanda since 1994, and against Liberia since 2003.

The government says a United Nations peacekeeping force in Burundi has helped create an “atmosphere of security,” while improved domestic and international transport have boosted living conditions.

In Rwanda, war has ended, rebel groups have no base and those linked to the 1994 genocide are being prosecuted, says Ottawa.

Liberia’s government, along with a United Nations mission, is helping maintain that country’s security and stability, says the federal government.

However, Amnesty International’s annual report for 2009 cites a long list of ongoing abuses in Burundi and Liberia, and to a lesser extent Rwanda.

Can’t enter through U.S.

In a related announcement, the government also said it was changing the rules for some refugee claimants who arrive in Canada after first arriving in the United States.

More..

Incoming search terms:

• Canada deportation ban
• list of countries for suspension of deportation canada
• list of countries deportation ban canada
• deportation list rwanda
• deportation ban
• canadian government list of deportation
• canada list of countries deportation
• canada deported to burundi
• canada deportation suspension countries
• canada deportation list

­Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, who last week announced controversial visa restrictions on Czechs and Mexicans, said he did so to fix a refugee system that doesn’t work.

The Mexican government retaliated by imposing visa restrictions on Canadian diplomats and officials. But while everybody agrees that something has to be done, nobody’s ever been able to define what that “something” is all about.

I have followed immigration issues for many years and I’m no expert, but I’ve acquired enough evidence to say that the biggest problem preventing any government from finding a solution to its immigration and refugee system is not the lack of diversity of ideas, but it’s all the political posturing that follows any proposal from whatever government.

A political party complains about the system while in opposition and makes a commitment to fix the problems when in government, and at the end of the exercise, nobody is doing anything for fear of being called a racist or anti-immigrant.

This means that whoever is in government will make a lot of proposals for big reforms, but at the end of the day, only small changes are made to appease so-called mainstream Canadians, without alienating so-called “ethnic Canadians.”

Basically, it is not about immigration, it’s about politics and votes.

So, the question is not about the seriousness of the government’s intentions or the capacity of Kenney. I have a lot of respect for him and his team. But the question is about his strength and courage to follow through to the end and endure the attacks from the opposition parties who will take Conservatives to task on any change and will try to perpetrate the myth that the Conservatives are against immigration and minorities.

I don’t believe any political party in Canada is against immigrants or immigration. The problem is that none of the parties can afford for another party to take credit for solving the problem and reap the electoral benefits.

This kind of thinking, even though understandable, gives politics and politicians a bad reputation.

Considering that at this time we have a minority government and nobody has enough numbers to do a serious or in-depth reform of the immigration and refugee system, I think Kenney should do what Prime Minister Stephen Harper did with the reform of Canada’s Employment Insurance system: he should turn it into a bipartisan or multi-partisan effort.

The problem is not just confined to Canada’s refugee system; it’s the consequence of a larger problem with the whole immigration system.

It takes years to become a landed immigrant in Canada, so people who really want to immigrate to our country try other avenues. Some ask for political asylum. Others go underground and become illegal workers. The system gets clogged and people are exploited.

This is a human and an economic tragedy that requires the help of everybody to solve. I understand that political positioning is important, but this posturing has been dragging on for more than a decade over an issue that will endanger not just the future of thousands of people, but will endanger our economy and our country’s future.

Kenney should at this point act beyond any partisan interest and ask the leaders of the opposition parties to come out in front of their responsibilities. Considering that everybody agrees that we have a problem, the opposition parties should stop telling us only what they don’t like and put on the table solid proposals on how they want to solve the problem.

At that point, it will be up to the minister of immigration to collect all the suggestions and transform them into a political proposal that everybody can subscribe to. I believe this can be better accomplished by creating a multi-partisan committee formed by politicians and not by appointed experts.

I don’t have anything against experts, but it’s important to have politicians who must take responsibility for their suggestions and support them.

The solution of this important problem can be achieved only with a broader political consensus.

Incoming search terms:

• refugee problems in canada
• refugee issues in canada
• canada refugee problems
• refugees PROBLEMS in canada
• problems with canadas refugee system
• canadas refugee problems
• canadian refugee problem
• issues with refugees coming to Canada
• canada refugee issues
• problems with canada\s refugee system

Jason Kenney, the immigration minister, has had a heavy time clawing his way up thru Conservative congress ranks. But if he will achieve success in bringing fairness to Canada’s out-of-control refugee system his future will be set. Here’s something the New Democrats purposely do not get, the Liberals are oblivious to and the Conservatives dimly understand as if thru a glass, darkly : Canadians are noiselessly mad about our fat, porous and stupidly over-bureaucratized refugee system. No government, since the high court passed down its supposed “landmark Singh decision” on Apr 4, 1985, has had the nerve to face this problem, not to mention fix it. The Singh call established, based mostly on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Liberties , that any person who claims refugee standing in Canada has an inalienable right to a formal hearing. It also established de facto the charter is applicable to anyone that sets foot on Canadian soil.

In the space of some years it incubated a nearly improbable legal and official tangle, a sector to all intents and purposes dedicated to sorting valid refugee petitioners from fake ones.

The Process

If you are a convicted law-breaker or simply a businessman wanting to earn a better living ( vs a refugee fleeing persecution ) the machine finally may spit you back out. But that may drag on for years and often does. In one scandalous case, that of “pizza guy” Harjit Singh, it took seventeen years. Singh was a convicted criminal in his local India and a known card con artist here in Canada. But it took a state political scandal and the downfall of an immigration minister, Judy Sgro, before he was ultimately put on a plane and sent home in 2005. A foreign visitor steps ashore in Halifax and enters the customs lineup. Quickly he speaks one on one to a senior customs officer. The petitioner tells his story and presents any supporting proof. If the tale does not measure up, the refugee petitioner is kindly ushered into another waiting room.

He is offered a meal and a variety of in-flight mags.

As quickly as a flight is available off he is going home, thanks to the governing body of Canada. The stark fact is that folks who most need safe harbor sometimes do not have the means to get to Canada. We deserve to be finding refugees where they live — in refugee camps — not waiting for them to come to us. This is the nub of Ottawa’s call last week to foist visa limitations on visitors from Mexico and the Czech Republic. The overwhelming majority, according to the govt, are business migrants. Both Mexico and the Czech Republic are democracies, kind of.

But the system can be remade so that folks who require our help get it and economic migrants use the method in place for doing that.

Incoming search terms:

• jujy sgro and fraud artist harjit singh canada
• harjit singh fraud artist cana