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A Policy Within a Policy: The Identification and Admission of Refugees to Canada

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2009

Gerald E. Dirks
Gerald E. Dirks
Affiliation:
Brock University
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Abstract

The migration of people from valley to valley or from region to region, and, since the emergence of the nation state, from country to country, is an acknowledged characteristic of humanity. The motives behind population movements fall into two broad categories: a desire for an improved lifestyle based upon economic betterment and a need to escape from persecution and oppression stemming from intolerance and discrimination whether practised or merely condoned by those in authority. Frequently, these fundamental motivations explaining population movements may be interrelated and therefore difficult to separate. Economically motivated migrants have comprised the majority of persons throughout the ages who have pulled up roots to relocate. Nevertheless, that portion of mankind which has felt compelled to flee to avoid physical danger resulting from official or societal attitudes and policies has constituted a significant portion of the migratory population. This article focusses on this latter category of persons, some of whom seek to enter and remain in Canada. The policy and administrative process governing the admission to Canada of these refugees, as well as an explanation and evaluation of the formulation and implementation of such processes will constitute the major thrust of thearticle.

Résumé

Cet article tente de décrire et d'analyser cette partie de la législation contemporaine de l'immigration et de la politique se rapportant spécifiquement aux réfugiés. En particulier, cette analyse se concentre sur la multitude de facteurs qui ont influencé ces parties de l'acte de 1976 applicables aux réfugiés qui essaient d'entrer au Canada, et de ces gens déjà au Canada, qui cherchent à établir leurs statuts de réfugiés. La deuxième partie de l'article examine les mesures du gouvemement qui concernent l'admission et la détermination du statut du réfugié, puisque la législation actuelle est en vigueur dans le but de foumir une évaluation objective aux lecteurs.

Type
Research Article
Information
Canadian Journal of Political Science/Revue canadienne de science politique , Volume 17 , Issue 2 , June 1984 , pp. 279 - 307
Copyright
Copyright © Canadian Political Science Association (l'Association canadienne de science politique) and/et la Société québécoise de science politique 1984

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References

1 “Convention refugee means any person who, by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion, (a) is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or, by reason of such fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country, or, (b) not having a country of nationality is outside the country of his former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of such fear, is unwilling to return to that country” (United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951).

2 See Hawkins, FredaCanada and Immigration: Public Policy and Public Concern (Montreal:McGill-Queen's Press, 1972), 139–73.Google Scholar

3 All memoranda, correspondence and working papers cited in this and subsequent footnotes are contained in the policy files of the Department of Manpower and Immigration (hereafter referred to as DMI), as it was called during the period with which this article deals. DMI, File 5881–1, The Immigration Policy Review Process,“Working Paper,” July 31, 1973.

4 Ibid., 4.

5 Interviews with officials of the Employment and Immigration Commission, Ottawa, 1981.

6 DMI, File 5882–2, Internal Memorandum, June 13, 1974.

7 DMI, File 5882–4, Internal Memorandum, July 24, 1971. (Emphasis in original.).

8 Ibid., Internal Memorandum, December 17, 1974.

9 Interviews with officials of the Employment and Immigration Commission. Ottawa, 1981.

10 DMI, File 5882–3, Minutes of a meeting with the minister, September 5, 1975.

11 Ibid., Interdepartmental Memorandum, January 3. 1975.

12 Report of the Special Joint Committee of Parliament and Immigration, first session. 30th Parliament (Ottawa, 1975).Google Scholar

13 DMI, File 5882–4, Interdepartmental Memorandum, January 4, 1975.

14 See Dirks, Gerald E.Canadian Refugee Policy: Opportunism or Indifference? (Montreal:McGill-Queen's Press, 1977), 168–71.Google Scholar

15 Interviews with officials of the Employment and Immigration Commission. Ottawa. 1981.

16 DMI File 5882–1, Internal Memorandum. May 14, 1976.

17 Ibid., Internal Memorandum, July 21, 1976.

18 Immigration Act, 1976, Part 1, Section 3 (Ottawa, 1977).Google Scholar

19 Ibid., Section 3 (G).

20 Ibid., Section 6.2.

21 Interviews with officials of the Employment and Immigration Commission, Ottawa, 1981.

22 Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America, Presentation to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Labour, Manpower and Immigration, June 1, 1977.

23 DMI, File 5882–16, Internal Memorandum, January 18, 1977.

24 Ibid., Department of Manpower and Immigration to the Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America, April 16, 1977.

25 Ibid.

26 Ibid.

27 Ibid., Department of Manpower and Immigration to the Inter-Church Committee on Human Rights in Latin America, May 19, 1977.

28 Ibid., Internal Memorandum, June 7, 1977.

29 Ibid.

30 Ibid., Internal Memorandum, June 10, 1977.

31 Ibid.

32 Ibid.

33 See Adelman, HowardCanada and the Indochinese Refugees (Regina: L. A. Weigl Educational Associates, 1982).Google Scholar

34 Refugee & Designated Class Immigration:

35 EIC, Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration Levels, 1982 (Ottawa, 1981).Google Scholar

36 EIC, Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration Levels, 1983 (Ottawa, 1982).Google Scholar

37 EIC, “Refugee Perspectives, 1982–1983, ” Refugee Affairs (Ottawa, June, 1982).Google Scholar

38 EIC, Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration Levels, 1982 (Ottawa, 1981).Google Scholar

39 Canada, House of Commons. Debates (November 5, 1981), 12534.

41 EIC, Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration Levels, 1983 (Ottawa, 1982).Google Scholar

41 EIC, Refugee Policy Division (unpublished report, “Fact Finding Visit to Central America, March 14–24. 1982,” Ottawa, 1982).

42 Ibid.

43 EIC, “Refugee Perspectives, 1982–1983”, Refugee Affairs (Ottawa, June, 1982).Google Scholar

44 Inter-Church Committee on Refugees. Presentation to the Subcommittee on Latin America and the Caribbean of the Standing Committee on External Affairs and National Defense, April 29, 1982.

45 Ibid., and EIC, Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration Levels, 1983 (Ottawa. 1982).

46 EIC, Report of the Task Force on Immigration Practices and Procedures concerning the Refugee Status Determination Process (Ottawa, 1981).Google Scholar

47 See Wydrzynski, C., “Refugees and the Immigration Act,” McGill Law Journal 25 (1979), 154–82.Google Scholar

48 EIC, Report of the Task Force on Immigration Practices and Procedures concerning the Refugee Status Determination Process (Ottawa, 1981).Google Scholar

49 EIC, Refugee Status Advisory Committee Statistics (Ottawa, February, 1982).Google Scholar

50 Interview with the Registrar, Refugee Status Advisory Committee, Ottawa, April, 1983.

51 EIC, Report of the Task Force on Immigration Practices and Procedures concerning the Refugee Status Determination Process (Ottawa, 1981).Google Scholar