Refugee Application Rejected: Bill C-11 Changed

In the initial draft of this act, if your refugee claim failed, you would not have access to an application for residency based on humanitarian/compassionate grounds for at least a year.

The act has been amended to remove that restriction. Now you can apply for residency based on humanitarian and compassionate grounds to the Refugee Appeal Division, as soon as your refugee application has been refused.
One of the controversial clauses included in the act was the inclusion of a list of what the government called “safe countries.” These countries included England, France, the United States, and others. The purpose of the list was to designate certain countries from which a person could not claim refugee protection. This list is created at the Minister’s discretion. These countries are now referred to as “designated countries” instead of “safe countries” and include countries that the government feels demonstrate a democratic form of government that would not qualify its citizens for refugee protection in Canada.
The revised version of Bill C-11 is expected to be passed in July, 2010

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If you, or someone you care about, is dealing with immigration law issues in the Kitchener, Ontario Region, contact Jennifer Roggemann Law Office for a consultation.