Tue Mar 30 2010, Toronto Star

OTTAWA—The Conservative government is proposing a major overhaul to Canada’s refugee system with a special focus on ridding the country quickly of asylum seekers making unfounded claims. “These balanced reforms will deliver fast and fairer decision on asylum claims. That means fast protection for bona fide refugees and faster removal of false asylum claimants,” Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said, adding the changes are also in response to overwhelming public support for reforming the asylum system. Critics immediately labeled as “unfair” a controversial provision in legislation introduced Tuesday that would eliminate an appeal step for asylum seekers from so-called safe countries that Canada considers democratic nations.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Community Group Outraged at Kenney’s Proposed Refugee Reforms

March 30, 2010, Vancouver, Coast Salish Territories – The refugee rights and migrant justice organization No One Is Illegal is outraged at Minister Kenney’s proposed refugee reforms. These reforms create two streams of refugees, download financial and social support of 2,000 refugees to private organizations, and drastically limit avenues such as the Humanitarian and Compassionate Claim and Pre-Removal Risk Assessment available to refugee claimants.

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Globe and Mail, Mar. 29, 2010

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney is taking a two-pronged approach to refugee reform: He wants to open the door to more people who are languishing in UN-sponsored refugee camps while quickly ushering out those who arrive here to make bogus claims for asylum. But his plan to hike the number of refugees accepted annually into this country was criticized by refugee advocacy groups yesterday as an attempt to download costs of resettlement onto the backs of church and community groups.

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Canadian Press Published Mar. 29, 2010 11:12AM EDT

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees is warning that the type of refugee reforms the Conservative government has in mind need to be handled with an abundance of caution. Antonio Guterres said streamlining refugee applicants according to their country of origin is a legitimate way to speed up the process, but authorities need to ensure this system takes into account that some countries generally assumed to be safe may actually be dangerous for some groups — especially women and homosexuals.

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Mon Mar 22 2010, TORONTO STAR

Immigration Minister Jason Kenney’s controversial comments on “bogus” refugee claims by Czech Roma have come back to haunt him. A Roma refugee facing deportation told the Federal Court of Canada Monday that the outspoken minister’s public criticisms have prejudiced asylum cases before the independent Immigration and Refugee Board and immigration officials charged with deportees’ pre-removal risk assessments. “Bias is an insidious poison that infiltrates the minds of the decision-makers,” said immigration lawyer Max Berger, who represents Zaneta Dunova. “The only way to cure the problem is a strong and sharp statement from this court, chastising the statements made by the minister.”

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