In June 2012, the federal government passed Bill C-31, the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, ushering in sweeping changes to Canada’s refugee system.
Under the new system, refugee claimants in Canada will face accelerated timelines, limited recourse for negative decisions, and restrictive access to safety nets including Humanitarian and Compassionate Consideration and Pre-Removal Risk Assessment. The new law also gives broad powers to the Minister of Public Safety to designate certain arrivals as ‘Designated Foreign Nationals’ – a label that carries mandatory detention, accelerated timelines, restricted access to the refugee system, and draconian conditions on refugees, including a five-year waiting period between a successful claim and an application for permanent residency. Finally, the new system includes a Designated Countries of Origin list – a list of countries that are assumed to be ‘safe’ for refugees. Refugee claimants from these countries will face accelerated timelines for their refugee hearings and fast removal without the chance to have a negative decision reviewed.
List of Bill C-31 Resources
New Refugee Bill Will Not Give Refugees a Fair Chance to Tell Their Stories Peter Showler, University of Ottawa, April 18th 2012
Unpacking the latest refugee reform bill: Critics blast government ‘hypocrisy’ and claim bill complicates process for gay asylum seekers Dale Smith, xtra.ca, February 28th 2012
Ottawa’s bogus refugee bill Audrey Macklin and Lorne Waldman, thestar.com February 22th 2012
Media Releases
Canada’s Response to the Crisis in Gaza: Letter to the Prime Minister
CARL writes with grave concern about the unfolding and urgent crisis in Gaza and the increasing number of displaced, injured and killed. Since October 7, 2023, the United Nations has estimated that over 1.7 million [...]
CARL Releases its 2023 Climate Migration Report | L’Association canadienne des avocats et avocates en droit des réfugiés publie son Rapport sur la migration climatique 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers Releases its 2023 Climate Migration Report Toronto, Ontario, November 13, 2023 - The Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers (CARL) is proud to announce the official release [...]
CARL’S FALL 2022 HALF-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING | CONFÉRENCE NATIONALE 2022 ASSEMBLÉ GÉNÉRALE ANNUELLE de l’ACAADR
CARL'S FALL 2022 HALF-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE AND ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING | CONFÉRENCE NATIONALE 2022 ASSEMBLÉ GÉNÉRALE ANNUELLE de l'ACAADR Wednesday, October 19, 2022 | Mercredi, le 19 octobre 2022 Webcast 1:00PM-4:45 PM EDT/HAE – 10:00AM-1:45PM [...]
CARL Summer 2022 Webinar Series: “Back to Basics – A Review of the Convention Refugee Definition”
Note: Password-protected links to conference recordings and supported materials will be posted below as they become available. Registrants receive a single password for all recordings/materials in their registration confirmation email. “Back to Basics – A [...]
CARL’S SPRING 2022 HALF-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE | CONFÉRENCE NATIONALE 2022 de l’ACAADR
CARL'S SPRING 2022 HALF-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE | CONFÉRENCE NATIONALE 2022 de l'ACAADR Wednesday, April 27, 2022 | Mercredi, le 27 avril 2022 Webcast: 1:00PM-4:30PM EDT/HAE – 10:00AM-1:30PM PDT/HAP **NOTE: REPLAY NOW AVAILABLE TO REGISTRANTS HERE. REGISTRATION STILL AVAILABLE [...]
CARL Letter to the Minister Regarding Ukraine
Dear Minister, Like the rest of Canada, the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers is watching in shock as the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues. The need for global solidarity and burden-sharing to meet this and [...]