According to an Immigration Expert, the Refugee Reform Bill brought out by the Federal Government limits an important alternative for most of the refugees. This option is the consideration on humanitarian and compassionate grounds.
A bill was postponed by the government in the month of March to dissuade refugees using fake reasons to use the system to gain a legal permit. With this, Jason Kenney, the Immigration Minister for Canada has also advised on putting a stop on those refugee claimants who were found to be false from applying again. This proposal was especially for those refugees applying on humanitarian and compassionate grounds for a period of a year post the denial of their request.
Also, the refugees whose claims have still not been answered are also not permitted to apply on the humanitarian grounds. As per Kenney, who addressed the Canadian Bar Association Conference on Citizenship and Immigration Law, considerations on humanitarian and compassionate grounds are not a substitute for the rejected refugees.
However, Kenney also mentioned that amendments which seem fair and sensible would be considered. At the same time, he added that the government would be least interested in destructing the balance of the reform package by removing certain aspects. And if the accord of the Parliament would be this, the bill would not be passed then.
$540.7 million is the cost expense of this package for execution for a period of five years. Apart from this, $85.4 million on a yearly basis for the efficient functioning of the system would be spent.
As of now, the refugee claimants have to wait for 19 months for their case to be decided upon. With the new system in place, it would take only sixty days for a decision to be made. Also, the new system of reform would also reduce the timelines for process of deportation of the false claimants. The usual timelines are four and half years which have come down to only eighteen months now.
As per the bill, the refugees would be categorized by the country they belong to and on the basis of their list of the safe countries. Around fifteen thousand failed claimants are present in Canada now which are to be deported where as the government has lost track of another thirty-eight thousand.
