What is Refugee Rights Day?
April 4th is the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1985 Singh decision.
In this decision the Supreme Court found that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the fundamental rights of refugees. The Court decided that ‘everyone’ includes refugee claimants in the sentence: ‘Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.’
Refugee claimants are therefore entitled to an oral hearing, in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice and international law.
For more information:
Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) webpage on the Singh decision
Supreme Court of Canada – decision: Singh versus the Minister of Employment and Immigration
Mark Refugee Rights Day this April 4th!
Adversity can bring out the best and the worst in people. We’ve seen examples of both in Canada: opening doors in welcome to thousands of refugees in need of protection and, at the same time, rising intolerance and xenophobia towards those seen as outsiders.
Canada has been a leader in welcoming refugees and in fostering welcoming communities, but that leadership and welcome has been on the decline.
Join us in redefining what ‘welcoming communities’ can and should look like in Canada, whether it is in calling on political, community and faith leaders to take strong, positive action in solidarity with Muslims or in highlighting the contributions of newcomers to our communities.
Mark Refugee Rights Day this Saturday 4 April. What do ‘welcoming communities’ look like to you?
More ideas on how to take action leading up to and marking Refugee Rights Day…