Canadian Council for Refugees

Canadian Council for Refugees
Name	Canadian Council for Refugees
Formation	1978
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Montreal, Quebec
Region served	Canada
Membership	Community groups, legal clinics, faith groups
Leader title	Executive Director

Canadian Council for Refugees The Canadian Council for Refugees is a national non-profit umbrella organization founded in 1978 that brings together refugee-assisting groups across Canada. It convenes members from provincial networks, Montreal-based agencies, and local service providers to coordinate responses to asylum seekers arriving through land and sea borders such as Roxham Road and ports like Vancouver Harbour. The organization engages with legal frameworks including the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and international instruments such as the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees.

History

The council was established in the context of post-1970s humanitarian movements alongside organizations like Amnesty International and Canadian Council of Churches to address refugee flows after events such as the Vietnam War and regimes linked to the Soviet Union. Early activity intersected with landmark Canadian cases involving the Supreme Court of Canada and regional groups in Toronto, Calgary, and Winnipeg. Over decades the council responded to crises including migration linked to the Rwandan Genocide, the Balkans conflict, and displacement from Afghanistan, while engaging with federal administrations from the Trudeau (1968–1979) era through the Justin Trudeau period and preceding Conservative governments such as under Stephen Harper.

Mandate and Objectives

The group’s mandate focuses on protecting rights under instruments like the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and on influencing Canadian statutory regimes such as the Immigration Minister portfolio and policies implemented by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Objectives include ensuring access to procedures modeled after jurisprudence from the Supreme Court of Canada and administrative decisions from bodies akin to the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. It aims to align Canadian practice with decisions from international bodies such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and reports by the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Structure and Governance

Governance has included a board with representatives drawn from member organizations in provinces and territories including Quebec, Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, and the Northwest Territories. The council organizes national meetings that echo formats used by coalitions such as Doctors Without Borders and networks like the Canadian Bar Association. Executive leadership works alongside volunteer committees comparable to those in the Canadian Red Cross and maintains accountability systems paralleling standards from the Canada Revenue Agency for non-profit status.

Programs and Activities

Programs have addressed refugee resettlement, legal assistance, and community sponsorship models like those supported by Sponsorship Agreement Holders and municipal initiatives in cities like Montréal and Halifax. Activities include publishing policy briefings engaging with reports from the Canadian Journal of Refugee Law and organizing training workshops similar to those run by Justice Canada affiliates and legal clinics at institutions such as Osgoode Hall Law School and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. The council has coordinated campaigns mirroring advocacy by Human Rights Watch and research collaborations with universities including McGill University and York University.

Advocacy and Policy Influence

Advocacy work includes submissions to parliamentary committees such as the House of Commons and interventions in court proceedings before the Federal Court of Canada. The council has lobbied federal ministers alongside coalitions like the Canadian Council of Churches and civil society partners such as CARE Canada and Oxfam Canada. Policy influence involved responses to measures like the Safe Third Country Agreement and engagement with bilateral arrangements involving the United States and multilateral forums including the United Nations General Assembly.

Partnerships and Funding

The council partners with settlement agencies similar to Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia and legal networks like the Canadian Bar Association refugee law sections, as well as academic partners including University of British Columbia research centres. Funding has come from a mix of philanthropic foundations comparable to the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation and project grants from federal bodies like Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, alongside donations from faith groups such as the Anglican Church of Canada and organizations like Mennonite Central Committee.

Impact and Criticism

Supporters credit the council with shaping reforms in refugee policy, contributing to jurisprudence referenced by the Supreme Court of Canada, and mobilizing community sponsorships that echo successes seen in programs run by municipal governments such as Toronto City Council. Critics, including some commentators in outlets like The Globe and Mail and political actors from parties such as the Conservative Party of Canada, have argued that advocacy positions complicate border management or intersect with debates on the Safe Third Country Agreement. Debates have paralleled controversies involving other NGOs like Amnesty International Canada and discussions at forums such as the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers conferences.

Category:Non-profit organizations based in Canada Category:Refugee aid organizations