PLEASE ADD YOUR VOICE I am writing with an urgent action request on the provisions in the budget bill that may lead to refugee claimants being denied access to social assistance The Budget Bill was introduced last Thursday, October 23 – see the links to media coverage and other resources below. The Budget Bill is making its way through the House of Commons very quickly and will go to Standing Committee hearings as early as next week. It is important that there be a strong reaction and that parliamentarians understand the potential consequences of the provisions. The relevant sections (172 and 173) of Bill C-43 are here: parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?Language=E&Mode=1&DocId=6737565&File=176#27. A backgrounder is available at ccrweb.ca/sites/ccrweb.ca/files/billc-43backgrounderoct2014.pdf Here are the actions we are suggesting in the short term. 1. Open Letter Organizations are asked to sign on to an Open Letter (see text below). This is a revised version of the letter on C-585 - if you signed that letter, you are asked to confirm your endorsement. We hope other organizations will also sign on. The revised letter is addressed to Finance Minister Joe Oliver. It takes into account the changed circumstances with the Budget, and includes vital information about the ways in which the government’s proposal contravenes international human rights conventions. We intend to send the Open Letter to Minister Oliver, present it at Standing Committee hearings, and make it public through the media. Endorsements are needed by 4pm, Friday November 7. Send your endorsement by email to [email protected] (include name of organization and name and title of person signing (optional)). Please circulate the request for endorsement widely, including to health and social service agencies, social justice and human rights groups, organizations serving homeless persons, faith communities, etc . 2. Give your input to the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration Please consider having your organization ask to appear before the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, or at least make a written submission. It will be very helpful for as many groups as possible to send in written submissions expressing their concerns. We need to act quickly - the committee willl complete its study by November 21. Written submissions can be very short – even a couple of pages outlining your concerns will be helpful. You can include the following information: your organization’s name and mandate; the issue you’re concerned about (i.e., sections 172 and 173 of Budget Bill C-43); why your organization has an interest in this issue; what your concerns are; your recommendation that these sections of the Budget be withdrawn; and, your contact information. Here are the House of Commons guidelines for submitting a brief: parl.gc.ca/About/House/WitnessesGuides/guide-brief-e.htm. Note that briefs will only be distributed to the Committee once they are in both official languages, so unilingual briefs must be submitted with enough time for the Committee Clerk to arrange for translation. As the Committee will only be considering written submissions until November 20, please submit your brief as soon as possible. Address written submissions and requests to be heard to the Clerk of the Committee, Mike MacPherson, whose contact information is available here: parl.gc.ca/CommitteeBusiness/CommitteeHome.aspx?Cmte=CIMM&Language=E Text of open letter The Honourable Joe Oliver, MP, PC Minister of Finance House of Commons Ottawa, ON, K1A 0A6 Open Letter: Budget Bill Restricts Access to Social Assistance for Refugee Claimants Dear Mr. Oliver, As organizations that have an interest in ensuring that everyone in Canada has equal access to income security, we are alarmed by the inclusion in your recently introduced Budget Bill C-43 of sections 172 and 173, which amend the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act. These sections are essentially Private Members Bill C-585, which was introduced earlier this year. Many of our organizations are health and social service agencies and legal and community advocates that work directly with refugee claimants and others with precarious immigration status. The change that would be made to the Federal-Provincial Fiscal Arrangements Act as a result of these provisions would allow provinces to restrict access to social assistance for refugee claimants and others who have not yet been granted permanent residence. To receive social assistance in any province, one must already qualify through testing and demonstrate great need. To then deny social assistance based on immigration status is to cruelly deny the most vulnerable in our society the crucial lifeline that allows them to survive. A Federal Court recently described your governments denial of healthcare to refugee claimants as cruel and unusual. It is disturbing to see another initiative in Parliament that seems to be using legislation to threaten the well-being of migrants attempting to navigate Canada’s immigration system. Fleeing persecution places tremendous stress and burden on families seeking refugee status in Canada. Some of these families suffer from post traumatic stress disorder that can make finding and holding a job difficult without appropriate health care. Work permits take time to be approved and issued, which leaves people with no source of income for months on end. In the interim, access to social assistance is vital to sustain and rebuild lives. Without that source of support, many will be unable to feed, house, or clothe themselves and their families, putting further pressure on already overburdened charities and shelters. We know that poverty leads to poor health outcomes including higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, cancer and depression. We also know that denying basic social benefits, particularly to refugees, contravenes the spirit and the letter of numerous international human rights obligations that are binding on Canada, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Social, Economic and Cultural Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees. It is unacceptable for our government to implement policies that worsen people’s health and deny their fundamental human rights. We are also concerned that such a significant legislative change is being included in an omnibus Budget Bill, after being introduced as a Private Members Bill. These are inappropriate processes to deal with the critical issue of access to basic social benefits. This is particularly the case since these provisions will have far reaching negative consequences for the health, income security, stability, and successful settlement of very vulnerable people who have come to Canada seeking shelter from war and persecution. Our organizations call on you to withdraw sections 172 and 173 from Bill C-43. We will be making this Open Letter public and will continue to raise this issue with you, your MP colleagues, and the general public. Media coverage: Harper government buries C585 in omnibus Budget bill: theglobeandmail/news/politics/federal-omnibus-bill-restricts-refugee-access-to-social-assistance/article21305565/ Budget bills cuts to refugee assistance tops NDP list of complaints: cbc.ca/news/politics/budget-bill-s-cuts-to-refugee-assistance-tops-ndp-list-of-complaints-1.2815504 Refugee advocates blast proposed changes to welfare in budget bill: theglobeandmail/news/politics/refugee-advocates-blast-proposed-changes-to-welfare-in-budget-bill/article21359353/ New measure would put refugees at risk, say opposition MPs: thestar/news/canada/2014/10/29/new_measure_would_put_refugees_at_risk_say_opposition_mps.html Globe and Mail editorial: theglobeandmail/globe-debate/editorials/harpers-ottawa-is-omnibusted/article21332975/ Other resources: Statement from Amnesty International about the human rights issues: amnesty.ca/news/public-statements/denying-social-assistance-to-refugee-claimants-violates-international-law-bil Media Release from the Canadian Council for Refugees and Canada Without Poverty: ccrweb.ca/en/budget-bill-targets-refugees
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 22:51:18 +0000