06-21-12
A study conducted by the United Nations concluded that Canada was one of the top 10 refugee destinations in the world in 2011, receiving over 25,000 asylum applications. A large percentage of these individuals were forced to flee their native countries and become refugees due to deteriorating conditions in their native countries. “2011 saw suffering on an epic-scale. We can be grateful that the international system for protecting such people held firm and that borders were kept open” said Antonio Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
The number of asylum claims received by Canada and the United States combined make up one-third of the worldwide total. Canada is viewed by the U.N as integral with respect to the solutions of refugee problems. However, the current Conservative government’s Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, which originated from immigration Canada does raise concerns. At the end of June, most refugees in Canada will lose extended health-care benefits, a change which is aimed at ensuring refugee claimants don’t receive health-care coverage that is superior to that coverage provided to Canadian citizens themselves. The U.N High Commissioner for Refugee’s representative in Canada is expected to testify before a Senate committee in order to express the U.N’s concerns with regards to these new changes.
Refer to FWCanada’s immigration glossary for clear definitions regarding key words pertinent to refugees seeking asylum in Canada. Additionally, our news and articles section contains a plethora of stories concerning refugees immigrating to Canada.
For the latest updates on Canadian immigration legislation, follow @FWCanada on twitter.
