Open Letter from the Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Southern Ontario calling on Federal and Provincial governments to fully fund Legal Aid Ontario’s immigration and refugee services

The Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Southern Ontario calls on the Federal and Provincial governments to immediately increase funding to Legal Aid Ontario (LAO) to ensure that serious cuts are not made to immigration and refugee law services. Due to budgetary constraints, Legal Aid Ontario is proposing cutting 40% of refugee and general immigration services beginning on July 1,^, 2017. Such cuts will put at risk the lives of thousands of people seeking safety within Canada’s borders. Even one life is one too many to be put at risk.

The agencies of the Coalition are on the front line when it comes to responding to the needs of refugee claimants in Ontario. We, as service providers to refugees, support thousands of people each year as they navigate the complex refugee determination system.  We also assist them in exercising their right to access legal representation. We see firsthand the critical role of proper legal representation in accessing justice.

Our agencies are already beyond capacity in providing essential settlement services to refugee claimants. In addition to helping them access legal services provided by LAO, we support refugees in accessing affordable housing, education, health care, and other essential social services. As you are well aware, the desperate housing situation in many parts of Ontario has occupied many refugee service providers’ time almost completely.  We are therefore unable to fill the huge gap in legal support that would be created by the proposed cuts. Furthermore, our agencies are financially constrained charities staffed by settlement workers and volunteers. We are not legal professionals. Refugee and immigration law is a highly specialized area of law that requires well-trained and experienced lawyers. We as community workers simply are not able to provide the legal support necessary for refugee claimants to effectively seek protection in Canada.

As outlined below, the consequences of inadequate legal representation will be serious.

• Refugee proceedings have life and death implications. We expect the number of negative decisions at the Refugee Protection Division will increase, putting refugees’ lives at serious risk. Poor or inadequate representation leads to decisions that can result in removal to a situation where refugees will face persecution, torture or death. This would amount to refoulement.
• More negative decisions at the RPD will require more applications to the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) and/or the Federal Court to address the errors.  Without adequate Legal Aid funding, these critical processes will be compromised. Both appellate processes are very complex and require legal expertise and familiarity with case law.  Settlement workers are no substitute for proper legal representation in the appellate processes.
• Wrongful decision making will result in increased instances of failed refugee claimants choosing to remain in Canada without legal status due to serious fear of return to their country of origin. This situation puts vulnerable people in a precarious situation without access to essential services.

Many refugee claimants who lack financial resources will seek alternative ways to pay for counsel, thereby increasing their vulnerability. Refugee claimants already face too many barriers in the process of seeking protection in Canada. Many could be at risk of exploitation by employers taking advantage of their desperation for an income to pay their legal fees. Refugee claimants come to Canada to seek protection and may have to prioritize legal costs over their own basic needs. We expect to see refugee claimants without financial resources directing a significant portion of their social assistance towards paying legal fees. This will force already vulnerable claimants to depend more on shelters, food banks, and other services. In turn, this will inevitably push them into situations of extreme poverty. Furthermore, the pressure on social services such as emergency shelters, which are already under significant stress, will be multiplied.  The undesirable consequence will be that the cost will be borne by other government departments in an indirect way.  Proper Legal Aid funding will prevent a crisis.

Many of the Coalition members are transitional housing organizations. These organizations will inevitably absorb the cost of much of the financial pressures placed on refugee claimants, particularly if claimants are put in the position of having to pay legal fees over rent. We cannot in good conscience close the doors on those who see no other option but to direct social assistance to legal fees. However, the charitable sector is financially constrained. Our work of supporting refugee claimants will be further constrained if we find ourselves covering the costs of housing that are left when governments do not fulfill financial responsibilities. This would mean our overall ability to provide even basic services to refugees would be severely compromised.

The mandates of our organizations are to support at-risk people in finding protection and navigating essential social services at the same time. We do not have the resources to provide extra services. Legal representation is crucial to the refugee resettlement process and not something in which we are trained or have the capacity with which to assist. Therefore, we cannot support any action that will contribute to denying essential services to refugee claimants.

Canada has an international reputation of being at the forefront in providing protection to those fleeing persecution. This is the time for Canada to live up to that reputation.

On the historic 150^th anniversary of this country, we implore you to stand up for what is right, and to ensure that access to justice is provided for the most vulnerable among us. Protection, justice and compassion are values that we all must work together to uphold. These are the values that make Canada a country truly worth celebrating.

Sincerely,

The Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Southern Ontario

Member Agencies:

Adam House, Toronto

Angela Rose House, Windsor

Carty House, Ottawa

Casa El Norte, Fort Erie

Casa Maria Refugee Homes, Peterborough

Chez Marie, Fort Erie

Christie Refugee Welcome Centre, Toronto

FCJ Refugee Centre, Toronto

Fort Erie Multi-Cultural Centre

Matthew House, Fort Erie

Matthew House, Ottawa

Matthew House, Toronto

Matthew House, Windsor

Mennonite Coalition for Refugee Support, Kitchener

Micah House, Hamilton

Quaker Refugee Committee, Toronto

Ray of Hope – Welcome Home Refugee House, Kitchener

Romero House, Toronto

Silas Hill Home for Refugees, Toronto

Sojourn House, Toronto

FCJ Refugee Centre strives to meet the diverse needs of uprooted people in communities across Ontario. FCJ Refugee Centre attempts to address the problems of poverty and lack of resources, isolation, and discrimination through community-based programs, which promote self-help, personal growth, community economic development and social justice.

Some of the areas we need volunteer support:

Reception/front desk
Communications: newsletter publication
Filling out immigration applications: work permits, visa extension, sponsorship applications, etc.
Volunteer data entry clerk

If you are interested in volunteer at FCJ Refugee Centre, submit your resume and FCJ volunteer form to Carolina Teves: cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org

After sending your application, please check here for the next volunteer orientation session. It will be announced soon.

Volunteer form: http://www.fcjrefugeecentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Volunteer-FORM.pdf

The “Housing Needs of Precarious populations Guide” addresses the barriers, priorities, promising practices and gaps in terms of accessing housing for precarious migrants. The document highlights existing limitations of the settlement programs that exacerbate the vulnerability of those populations to homelessness.

To read the document click here

This document has 2 sections: the first section is an explanation of what happens at the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre. The second section describes how a refugee house or any other agency can become a community-based alternative to detention. The FCJ Refugee Centre has been supporting detainees at the Immigration Holding Centre through the TORONTO REFUGEE AFFAIRS COUNCIL (TRAC) for more than a decade. Through this experience the Centre is trying to identify how the refugee houses at the Coalition of Service Providers, or any other agency, can provide a better support to this population.

The guide provides a quick overview of the release process for detained immigrants at the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre (TIHC). Our goal is to increase awareness among service providers and the wider population about issues of detention. We hope this guide is a helpful tool on procedures and promising practices to best support detainees in their transitioning process to independent living.

To read the guide click here

Information for people considering making a refugee claim in Canada entering from the USA

Inside this issue

• Refugee Rights Day in Canada:  Borderless voices
• FCJ Refugee Centre TAX CLINIC  on  spring.
• The Precarious Migrant  Resources
• International Women’s Day
• Virtual launch of the book `Seeds of Hope: Creating a Future in the Shadows` at Kalamazoo College, Michigan

If you are looking for information and learn about how to navigate in the Canadian system you are welcome to come to  FCJ Refugee Centre on Mondays from 9:30 to 4:00 pm

You do not need to book appointment. We have drop in sessions every Monday

The first step to become a volunteer at FCJ Refugee Centre is to participate in the Orientation Session. Our upcoming Orientation session is scheduled on  February 3rd from 10 am to 11 am at our location (208 Oakwood Ave. Toronto). During this session we will talk about our organization, how it works, programs, activities and current volunteer positions available.

To register for this session please fill out  the VOLUNTEER FORM, and sent it with your Resume  to Carolina Teves: cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org

Some of the volunteer positions we are opening for this period of time are:

RECEPTION/FRONT DESK.

INTERPRETATION/TRANSLATION

VOLUNTEER DATA ENTRY CLERK

COMMUNICATION

After the presentation you can choose among the volunteer positions. Please keep in mind that our office is open from Monday to Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Once you already identify the area you want to volunteer, you are ready to sign the volunteer form and confidentiality agreement with FCJ Refugee Centre; and you are ready to start your volunteer position at our centre.

fall-newsletter-2016

Please VOTE for the FCJ Refugee Centre and the Toronto Counter Human Trafficking Network Project to WIN the AVIVA community funding. HOPE is a project aimed to respond holistically and meet the needs of victims/survivors of human trafficking victims by providing them with services and protection.

To vote, follow these 5 easy steps in 2 minutes.

1. Click on the link below:

https://www.avivacommunityfund.org/?utm_source=Aviva+Community+Fund+2016&utm_campaign=f4db04971a-Voting_is_now_open10_11_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e689cb8e3e-f4db04971a-156423197

2. Register yourself: Name, email address and password
3. Go back to your email, click on the link you will be sent. You will be redirected again to the AVIVA Website.
4. On that page, scroll down, Search FCJ REFUGEE CENTRE on “Search project titles and organisations” and click on “see more”
5. Kindly cast your 18 VOTES 

Submit your votes today! , voting closes on October 28

On this time of the year

DONATE A WINTER COAT TO SOMEONE IN NEED

Finding warm clothing in the winter is a problem for vulnerable populations.
Many of our clients are in need of winter cloths.
We gratefully accept donations of winter clothing: Winter Coats; Boots; pants; Sleeping Bags, etc.

 Contact: Varka : varka@fcjrefugeecentre.org or 416- 469 9754 ext.228