ГУЛаг Палестины

on the loss of permanent resident status.

Ensuring facilitated entry for permanent residents without a valid permanent

resident card if they have been outside Canada for less than one year.

Setting a higher threshold for examinations for permanent residents than for

other foreign nationals.

Requiring a warrant to arrest a permanent resident for any immigration

matter.

Access to the Refugee Determination System

What we heard:

Access to the refugee determination system is too restrictive and would

deny access to people convicted of politically trumped-up charges. Others

who are excluded from the IRB procedures may be denied access to a fair

risk assessment upon return to their country of origin.

Our response:

The possibility of politically trumped-up charges will be considered by the

IRB, except in cases where the Minister finds the person to be a danger to

the public.

The new bill clarifies that unsuccessful refugee claimants, refugees who

have withdrawn or abandoned their claims, and refugees excluded from the

IRB process will have access to a pre-removal risk assessment prior to

removal.

The risk review may provide for an oral hearing, depending on the complexity

of the case.

Repeat claimants will have access to the risk review after six months

instead of one year.

People refused resettlement overseas will have access to the IRB

determination system should they later apply from within Canada.

Other Amendments to Respond to Stakeholder Submissions

The time limit for filing leave for judicial review of overseas decisions is

prolonged from 15 to 60 days.

Convention refugees and protected people whose identities have been

established will be provided with a document indicating their status and

making them eligible to apply for refugee travel documents.

- 30

2001-03

Backgrounder # 2

Making the System Work Better

For Immigrants

Improving Client Service

What we are doing:

Piloting new approaches to overseas processing.

Introducing new technology: the Global Case Management System.

Why we are doing it:

To ensure faster processing, quality decisions and increased transparency.

Clearing up Backlogs and Managing the Inventory

What we are doing:

Designating new funds to clear up backlogs.

Improving the management of the inventory of applications for permanent

residence and for immigration visas abroad.

Introducing the Multi-year Planning Process.

Why we are doing it:

To serve Canadians, permanent residents and potential immigrants faster

and more effectively.

To enable the program to move toward immigration levels of one percent of

the population.

Expanding the Family Class

What we are doing:

Broadening the definition of "dependent child" by increasing the age from

under 19 to under 22.

Opening up adoption provisions in keeping with the principle of the best

interests of the child.

Modernizing the definition of "family" to include common-law and same-sex

partners.

Why we are doing it:

To reflect the high value Canadians place on the family.

To maintain and enhance the family class as an important component of the

overall program.

To reflect the changing nature of social relationships in Canada.

Facilitating Family Reunification

What we are doing:

Creating an in-Canada landing class for sponsored spouses and partners for

both immigrants and refugees.

Exempting sponsored spouses, partners and dependent children from the

admission bar with regard to excessive demand on health or social services.

Reducing the age at which Canadian citizens and permanent residents are

eligible to sponsor from 19 to 18.

Including "parent" in the definition of family class within the Act.

Reducing the length of the sponsorship requirement from 10 years to 3

years for spouses and common-law opposite- and same-sex partners.

Why we are doing it:

To make it easier for families to be reunited as soon as possible.

Incorporating the Best Interests of the Child

What we are doing:

Incorporating the principle of the best interests of the child in appropriate

provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

Why we are doing it:

To uphold our international commitments as a signatory to three United

Nations conventions on the rights of the child.

To reflect the high value Canadians place on the well-being of children.

Modernizing the Selection System: Skilled Workers

What we are doing:

Moving away from an occupation-based model to one focused on flexible

and transferable skills.

Assigning more weight to education.

Increasing the relative weight of having knowledge of an official language but

ensuring that language is not a bar to admission.

Creating an "in-Canada landing class" for temporary workers (including

recent graduates from Canadian schools) who have a permanent job offer

and who have been working in Canada.

Why we are doing it:

To attract and keep the highly skilled, adaptable immigrants that Canada

needs to succeed and prosper in the future.

Expanding the Temporary Worker Program

What we are doing:

Facilitating the entry of temporary workers through a more serviceoriented

approach.