Posted on 11 June 2008
Ottawa (June 11, 2008) – Today Senator Yoine Goldstein celebrated the passage of Bill C-280 by the Senate Human Rights Committee. The bill, which is sponsored by Senator Goldstein in the Senate, will amend the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) in order to force government to implement of the Refugee Appeal Division.
The Refugee Appeal Division was supposed to have been created when the IRPA was passed in 2001. However, since that time the government has refused to proclaim the sections of the IRPA that deal with the Division, meaning that those claiming refugee status in Canada have since been denied access to a meaningful appeal mechanism.
“The government’s failure to implement the Refugee Appeal Division has not only showed a disrespect for Parliament, but has also exposed Canada to criticism from the United Nations’ High Commissioner for Refugees and has forced Canadian churches to break the law in order to provide sanctuary to deserving refugees that were unable to have a fair appeal,” noted Senator Goldstein.
“With the Committee’s passage of Bill C-280, Canada takes one step closer to ensuring that no refugee claimant will ever be wrongly returned to a country whether they face abuse, torture or death.”
Bill C-280 was passed by the House of Commons in May 2007 with support from all opposition parties. It now must receive third reading in the Senate and concurrence from the House of Commons in order to become law.