Immigration Minister Marc Miller raised concerns about increased international students asserting asylum in Canada. Notedly, the number of asylum assertions from international students at Toronto’s Seneca College elevated to 700 in 2023 from 300 in 2022 and from 106 to 450 during the same period at Kitchener’s Conestoga College.
Canada is respected for its relatively hospitable behavior toward refugees and seekers of asylum. It offers safety to persons who meet the conditions summarized in its immigration and refugee laws.
This article will assess the conditions for demanding asylum in Canada, the application processes, lawful rights, and work approval for asylum claimants.
Table of Contents
What Is Asylum?
When a person runs away from their home nation due to suspicion of persecution because of their ethnicity, religion, country, political opinions, or participation in a particular social group, they are awarded asylum, a kind of security from that nation.
Non-refoulement, which prohibits countries from sending individuals back to a location where they might risk destruction or suffering, is the fundamental doctrine of refuge.
Types Of Asylum
- Refugee Status: The UN considers individuals who match the prerequisites summarized in the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol refugees.
They are unable or reluctant to return due to the well-discovered suspicion of suffering in their home nation.
- Asylum Claimants have filed for refugee status; however, their applications are pending and referred to as asylum claimants.
They are entitled to specific liberties and protected under local and foreign laws throughout this period.
Making an Application For Asylum In Canada
Lawful Format
Local legislation and foreign conventions and accords control Canada’s asylum structure. Vital parts of the bill are the Convention Against Torture (CAT), the Refugee Convention, and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).
The IRPA is part of the legislation that introduces policies for immigration and refugee safety. It also determines the conditions for getting refugee status and the process for demanding asylum.
Refugee Convention and Policy
Canada has authorized the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Policy, which summarize refugees’ attributes, liberties, and duties.
Convention Against Torture
Canada authorizes the Convention Against Torture, which prohibits people from going back to a location where they face the threat of being subjected to suffering or brutal, barbaric, or lesser treatment.
Qualification Measures
To be eligible for asylum, the person must satisfy certain conditions explained in foreign conventions and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. Crucial components comprise:
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- Well-established Anxiety: Candidates must demonstrate a legal suspicion of being victimized due to their race, citizenship, religion, political opinions, or membership in a social group.
- Home Nation Requirements: To assist an asylum assertion, there must be evidence of victimization or risk of damage in the home nation.
- Important Exclusion Grounds: If an individual possesses an offensive account or is considered a security threat, they may not be qualified for refugee status.
Processes For Application
- Entry Point or Inland Demand
At the port of entry, people who enter Canada via an approved port of entry, including an airport or crossing through a land border, may submit to border security with an asylum claim.
Inland Claim: People who are already in Canada may contact the Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) office to file an asylum claim or make an application online.
- The Basis of Claim Form
This is the first stage in starting the request. Candidates clarify their motives for demanding asylum, which includes experiences with victimization or threat of damage in their home nation, in detail on the Basis of Claim form and present it to the Refugee Protection Division (RPD).
- The Refugee Protection Division (RPD)
The Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) is notified and decides on asylum claims. Candidates can represent themselves or employ a reimbursed representative, which includes a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultants (RCIC) or immigration attorneys, to file their assertions.
- The Hearing Process
Based on the adjudicator hearing, candidates return before an adjudicator at the Refugee Protection Division to carry on with their case, provide accompanying documents, and respond to inquiries.
- Selection
According to the case’s value, the Refugee Protection Division will carry out a conclusion and, if the conditions are met, will award refugee safety or reject it.
Lawful Defenses And Rights
- Liberty to Counsel: all through the asylum processes, candidates for asylum are entitled to lawful delegates.
- Interim Federal Health Program (IFHP): as their assertions are being run, asylum candidates may be eligible for limited health care protection under the Interim Federal Health Program.
- Work Approval: To maintain their financial well-being, asylum seekers may apply for a work permit after a predetermined waiting duration.
- Access to Social Services: asylum finders may be qualified for limited social support schemes in certain regions.
Work Approval While Waiting For Refugee Claim Judgment
People filing for refugee status and their relatives are qualified to make an application for open work permits if they:
- They require employment to make payments for their accommodation, meals, and other needs.
- Relatives who desire to make an application for work permits are already in Canada and are also making an application for refugee status.
