Speaking at the Senate of Canada this Tuesday, FCJ Refugee Centre’s In-House Lawyer, Joshua Eisen, said that “every day we hear painful and heartbreaking stories of persecution and violence from individuals whose right to seek refugee protection — a right enshrined in international law — will be undermined by Bill C-12,” adding that “contrary to what the bill’s proponents would have us believe, Bill C-12 will result in a refugee system that is more inefficient, more arbitrary, less fair and less humane.” “The bill should not be allowed to pass into law in its current form,” he concluded.

Eisen spoke as a witness at the meeting of the Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, on the subject matter of Parts 5, 6, 7 and 8 of Bill C-12, Strengthening Canada’s Immigration System and Borders Act. He appeared in a panel along with the Canadian Council for Refugees Co-Executive Director Gauri Sreenivasan; the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers Vice President, Adam Bercovitch Sadinsky; the Refugee Centre’s Director of Federal Government Relations, Alina Murad; and the Refugee Centre’s Legal Administrator, Jessica Ranger.

Watch Eisen’s full declaration in this video:

Video: Senate of Canada

See the whole meeting of the Committee here.

Read also: FCJ Refugee Centre Advocates Before House of Commons Committees for the Withdrawal of Bill C-12