1. Refugees in Canada What is Canada’s policy towards refugees?

2. What is a Refugee? A person who seeks refuge in another country because of danger or persecution in their home country. Refugees make up approximately 13% of those entering Canada according to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

3. Some Objectives of Canada’s Refugee Program Save lives and offer protection to people who are displaced. Fulfill and affirm Canada’s international commitments to protect refugees.

4. How are Canada’s immigrations Laws today different than in the past?  Today no one is excluded from Canada because of their race or country of origin. The point system for example, evaluates people based on their skills and education.  In the past Canada favoured immigrants from British ancestry and restricted immigration from Asian countries, such as China and India.

5. Canada’s Early Record Refugee protection was not a part of Canadian law until 1978. Early immigration policy discriminated by race: British and northern Europeans were encouraged to immigrate whereas…

6. Canada’s Early Record Chinese immigrants had to pay a “head tax” of up to $500. Asians and others who were deemed undesirable were excluded by the “continuous passage” policy.

7. Case Study: Chinese Head Tax Faced with a shortage of workers the Canadian Pacific Railway employed about 17 000 Chinese workers to help build the railway in the mountains between 1881-1885. The work was so hard and dangerous Canadian workers would not do it. Chinese workers were paid $1.50 a day-half of what other workers were paid- After the completion of the railway the Canadian government imposed a “head tax” to discourage immigrants coming from China. This head tax was just issued to Chinese Canadians.

8.  Video: Chinese Head Tax

9. The Komagatu Maru South Asians came to Vancouver on the ship the Komagatu Maru in 1914 to test the "continuous journey” policy. These 400+ hopeful immigrants were held on the ship for two months before being refused entry and send back.

10. The Canadian Charter Applies to Refugee Claimants Refugee’s are protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as soon as they enter Canada. Every person who seeks refuge in Canada has the right to a hearing, which they attend in person.

11. The Singh Decision – pg. 181 These present day laws are a result of the Singh decision In 1985, Satnam Singh came to Canada from India seeking refuge status. He was not allowed to state his case in person, and when he took his appeal to the Supreme Court it was found that this was in violation of section 7 of his Charter of Rights and Freedoms. As a result of the decision, refugees are now entitled to a hearing in front of the Immigration and Refugee Board.

12. Because of this monumental decision April 4 is known as Refugee Rights Day in Canada

13. To what extent do you think Canada should provide refugee status to all people who apply?

14. Watch CBC News clips on refugees in Canada. Watch CBC News clips on refugees in Canada. http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/why-they-fled-the-fall-of-saigon.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/why-they-fled-the-fall-of-saigon.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/why-they-fled-the-fall-of-saigon.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/why-they-fled-the-fall-of-saigon.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/sponsoring-refugees-canadians- reach-out.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/sponsoring-refugees-canadians- reach-out.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/sponsoring-refugees-canadians- reach-out.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/sponsoring-refugees-canadians- reach-out.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/they-take-the-jobs-canadians-dont- want.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/they-take-the-jobs-canadians-dont- want.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/they-take-the-jobs-canadians-dont- want.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/they-take-the-jobs-canadians-dont- want.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/looking-back-25-years-later.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/looking-back-25-years-later.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/looking-back-25-years-later.html http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/immigration/boa t-people-a-refugee-crisis/looking-back-25-years-later.html