Policy in Focus, Issue 9: Reforms to the Refugee System Are Needed

September 2009Cover of this issue

  • In some ways, Canada’s inland refugee system is a model. It provides a route to permanent residence, gives most claimants a hearing, and is designed to provide a good first decision.
  • But the system is also deeply flawed. Decision-makers are politically appointed rather than chosen solely on merit.
  • There is no reliable appeal process.
  • The system is under-resourced, so there is a backlog of 60,000 claims.
  • Most problematically, the system is slow to remove failed claimants. It can take up to eight years to finalize a claim.
  • The delays hurt legitimate refugees and can attract frivolous claims.
  • However, Canada should not look to Europe for answers.
  • European asylum systems screen asylum seekers at the border based primarily on country of origin and have been widely criticized by experts. They also focus on early and quick decisions by government officials that are not reliable and result either in unjust removals of refugees or high overturn rates at the appeal level. These systems often lead to various appeals and delays.

Read the full issue of this quarter’s Maytree Policy in Focus.

Watch the the September 10, 2009 online webcast with Peter Showler, Director of the Refugee Forum at the University of Ottawa, and author of the 2009 Maytree report Fast, Fair and Final: Reforming Canada’s Refugee System.