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The Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement: Canada During a Refugee Crisis

Hundreds of protesters shut down the U.S. Embassy in Toronto on Jan. 30, 2017.

By Jeremy Greenberg

Photography by Radu Caracaleanu

While global outcry over Donald Trump’s refugee ban continues unabated, pressure has been mounting on U.S. allies to take action. For Canada, that has meant the requisite calls to take in more refugees, as well as one proposal that has recently been gaining traction: suspension of the 2004 Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement[1].

By |February 3rd, 2017|Blog|

Are We Getting Too Cozy With China?

By Michael Christopher Ly

On 13 September 2016, the Federal government of Canada announced that it has commenced high-level dialogue on national security and the rule of law with China. The ongoing discussions would be a mechanism for consultations concerning judicial and law-enforcement cooperation, with the objective of addressing counter-terrorism, cyber security and combatting cybercrime, combatting transnational organized crime, law enforcement issues, consular issues, judicial cooperation and exchanges on rule of law. [1]

By |January 30th, 2017|Blog|

Bill C-1: Protecting Canada’s Diverse Gender Identities

By Jinny Kim

This September, a University of Toronto professor released an online lecture series that led to heated debates and protests about gender identity. In the lectures, Professor Jordan Peterson expressed frustration regarding requests to use alternative pronouns, such as “ze” and “zir,” which some use in place of “she” and “he.” He also criticized proposed legislation that prohibits gender-based discrimination.[1] Bill C-16[2] amends the Canadian Human Rights Code[3] and the Criminal Code[4] to include gender identity and expression as prohibited grounds of discrimination, thereby protecting transgender and gender non-conforming individuals through a legal framework.

By |January 8th, 2017|Blog|

Bill 62: Restrictions on Freedom or Proponent of Neutrality?

By Mireille Pichette

The ban on wearing articles of clothing that cover one’s face has become a pressing domestic and international issue. The media has framed these laws as disproportionately affecting women who wear burqas or niqabs, and extend them not only to the professional sphere but to the public sphere as well. Courts in France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria have adopted similar laws.[1] Quebec now sets out to follow in the footsteps of these nations. On October 18^th 2016, in the 1^st session of the 41^st Legislature of the Parliament of Quebec, Bill 62 was introduced.[2] Bill 62 purports to be “an Act to foster adherence to state religious neutrality and, in particular, to provide a framework for religious accommodation requests in certain bodies”.[3] This isn’t the first time a Bill such as this has been introduced in Quebec and many have compared this Liberal bill with the controversial secularism charter introduced by the Parti-Quebecois in 2013.[4]

By |December 12th, 2016|Blog|

Canadian Responses to the Syrian Refugee Crisis: Report from a CLAIHR Panel

By Jeremy Greenberg

Photos by Rikin Morzaria and Noah Aiken-Klar

Juda Strawcynzski, President of CLAIHR, speaks as Marco Oved, Mario Calla, Jacqueline Swaisland and Louis Century look on. Photo by Rikin Morzaria.

On November 24, Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights co-hosted a panel discussion on “Canadian Responses to the Syrian Refugee Crisis,” in partnership with the OBA Foundation. Guests were treated to an in-depth and multifaceted overview of the ways Canadians have responded to the influx of Syrian refugees in the past twelve months.

By |November 30th, 2016|Blog|

First Nations Education: First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act, the UNDRIP, and New Promises

By Tony (Hao Nan) Zhou

The education of First Nations in Canada is an ongoing issue in Canadian domestic politics and may present new challenges for Canada in meeting its international obligations if the new federal government follows through on its promise to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).[1]

By |October 24th, 2016|Blog|

Canadian Responses to the Syrian Refugee Crisis: Reflecting on the 1st Year

Join Canadian Lawyers for International Human Rights and the OBA Foundation for Canadian Responses to the Syrian Refugee Crisis: Reflections on the First Year, a panel discussion and reception.

Date: Thursday, November 24, 2016
Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM
Location: Ontario Bar Association, 20 Toronto Street, Toronto

Speakers include:

Mario Calla, Executive Director, COSTI Immigrant Services

Mario J. Calla, BA, MSW, has been the Executive Director of COSTI Immigrant Services since 1987. COSTI is a community service agency that has been providing a broad range of services to immigrants and refugees in the greater Toronto area for the past 64 years. It provides educational, social, and employment services to help all immigrants in the Toronto area attain self-sufficiency in Canadian society. COSTI has been active in working to help bring and settle Syrian refugees.

Louis Century, Goldblatt Partners

Louis Century is an Associate at Goldblatt Partners has has helped the firm to privately sponsor a Syrian refugee family. Before joining the firm, he clerked for Justice Richard Wagner at the Supreme Court of Canada. Louis has held positions at the International Criminal Court working for a defence team, at the Canadian Council for Refugees as a research fellow, and at the Asper Centre for Constitutional Rights working on constitutional appeals. Louis has also conducted refugee status determinations for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Nairobi. Louis has also recently joined an advisory group that will be exploring next steps for the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program.

Jacqueline Swaisland, Waldman & Associates

Jacqueline Swaisland is an immigration lawyer and a co-founder and the Toronto coordinator of the Refugee Sponsorship Support Program, a national program that trains lawyers to assist groups to privately sponsor refugees. The organization has trained over 1300 lawyers in 11 cities who are committed to assisting sponsor groups to fill out private sponsorship applications for refugees for free. In recognition of her outstanding work with refugees, she was recognized with a CARLA award by the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.

Moderator: Marco Oved

Marco Chown Oved is a reporter on the Star’s foreign desk, with a focus on Europe and Africa. Oved joined the Star’s city desk in 2012, covering everything from crime to politics, but has taken particular interest in stories involving abuse of power and corruption. Before joining the Star, Oved was a foreign correspondent for the Associated Press in Abidjan, Ivory Coast and worked for Radio France Internationale in Paris.

In 2014, Oved was named the R. James Travers international corresponding fellow and traveled to Burkina Faso, Ghana and Peru to investigate the links between Canadian foreign aid and mining. The resulting articles were nominated for a Canadian Association of Journalists investigative award.

By webmaster|October 19th, 2016|Past Events|

April 29, 2016: Join CLAIHR For an Evening of Theatre and Discussion

Join CLAIHR and Nightwood Theatre at the Tarragon Theatre on April 29, 2016 for an evening performance of Refuge, followed by a discussion about the play and Canada’s refugee system with CLAIHR’s Juda Strawczynski and Heather Cohen, and Refuge’s director Kelly Thornton.

Tickets can be purchased here.

By webmaster|April 12th, 2016|Past Events|

Excluded from Justice? Immigration Detainees in Canada

By Petra Molnar and Stephanie J Silverman

The migrants’ rights community was rocked by two recent deaths in the Toronto area at two separate immigration detention facilities. These deaths have been shrouded in secrecy and few details have emerged other than brief biographical sketches of the deceased. What we have learned is that the first man was found unconscious and not breathing in his cell in the Toronto East Detention Centre after an apparent suicide. Guards at the Maplehurst Correctional Facility in Milton found the second man six days later in his cell with no vital signs. Both men were awaiting deportation from Canada. An official total of 14 detainees have died while in the custody of Canadian immigration officials since 2000.

By webmaster|April 4th, 2016|Blog|

International Women’s Day: Reflecting on Human Trafficking in Canada: A Distressing Reality

By Andreina Minicozzi

March 8 is International Women’s Day, first recognized in August 1910 at the International Women’s Conference in Denmark. It was proposed by German socialists, Luise Zeits and Clara Zetkin, who sought to acknowledge women workers in America and Europe.[1] The objective of this annual event was to combat violence against vulnerable women and children and to recognize women’s struggles by forming alliances among them both domestically and internationally.[2] Today, International Women’s Day not only celebrates the actions of women throughout history, but also acts as a time of reflection.

By webmaster|March 4th, 2016|Blog|

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