Canada Stands Firm on Refugee Policy Despite Diplomatic Pressure

The federal government has maintained its position on not allowing foreign governments to dictate Canada's refugee policy, even in cases where diplomatic friends, military allies, and trade partners may be offended. The Immigration and Refugee Board has approved claims for asylum from people fleeing alleged persecution in over 100 countries, including 80 from Mexico, 225 from Israel, and 472 from China.

Key Takeaways:

• The Immigration and Refugee Board has approved claims for asylum from people fleeing alleged persecution in over 100 countries, including Mexico, Israel, Turkey, and China.
• In the past two years, the board turned down claims from 36 people alleging persecution in Western democracies with favorable human rights records, such as the United States, Belgium, and Sweden.
• Most claims from Somalia and Sri Lanka have been approved, accounting for about 40% of the refugees accepted by Canada.
• The refugee board is an independent tribunal that exercises a judicial function, and members are independent officials who hear the evidence in each case and judge refugee claims.
• Immigration Minister Sergio Marchi stated that it is inappropriate for foreign countries to try to dictate Canada's refugee policy.
• Critics of the board argue that it is inconsistent in its decisions, with Israeli claims being given a better hearing in Montreal.
• The board has granted asylum to some Sikhs from India but denied it to others, despite diplomatic pressure from the Indian government.

Statistics:

• 100+ countries: Number of countries from which asylum claims have been approved
• 80: Number of people from Mexico granted asylum in the past two years
• 225: Number of people from Israel granted asylum in the past two years
• 472: Number of people from China granted asylum in the past two years
• 36: Number of claims from Western democracies turned down by the board
• 40%: Proportion of refugees accepted by Canada who are from Somalia and Sri Lanka
• 211: Number of members currently serving on the Immigration and Refugee Board
• 2: Number of board members required to approve an asylum claim

Sources:

• Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (quoted in article)
• Immigration and Refugee Board (quoted in article)
• Department of Immigration (quoted in article)
• The article cites no specific publication date.