FYI. A letter composed by the concerned Liu Scholars, for which GQRG is one of the signatories.
The letter is scheduled to appear on national media publications.
For further information and discussion on the legal implications of the proposed bill, please participate in the conference by the Canadian Refugee Lawyers Association at the Liu Institute on March 9 (see the link in the below).
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Dear Editor,
In light of the upcoming public events exploring the proposed Bill C-31, including the national open conference on March 9th (with provisions for people out of town to participate via webinar) we are asking for this to be run as a letter to the editor/short editorial in Xtra West.
For more information http://www.refugeelawyersgroup.ca/conference2012
Thank you.
Liu Scholars Program, Liu Institute for Global Issues.
The right for people to seek asylum if they fear persecution on the basis of their race, religion, nationality, political opinion or social group — which has been interpreted to mean gender and sexuality — is a non-derogable right enshrined in international and Canadian law. The proposed refugee law would violate this right and would have serious detrimental effects on both the legal system and on the people who exercise their right to seek protection in Canada. One needs only to look to the United States and to the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe to see what has happened when they have decided to “tighten up“ asylum provisions: abject poverty for asylum seekers, families ripped apart and a dramatic increase in xenophobic violence and rhetoric from society at large. This is the response waiting for people who have fled their homes only to find destitution and exclusion in a place which promises freedom, safety and a better life — none of which responds to the reasons for which refugees are fleeing persecution in the first place. Although the changes proposed in Bill C- 31 are cloaked the name of “protecting“ Canadian interests, the fact is this law runs counter to Canada’s identity, because it directly erodes human rights, including basic liberty and equality rights as guaranteed under the Charter. These changes will undoubtedly cause serious damage to Canada’s proud reputation as a protector of rights and human dignity.