Let’s get together and build community! The FCJ Refugee Centre’s annual Diverse Residents, One Community Street Party is coming up!

Join us for this family event, where you’ll find activities for children, games, food, music, live performances, piñatas, and much more.

• When: June 15, 2024, from 12pm to 6pm
• Where: Right outside of our office location
• Address: 208 Oakwood Ave., Toronto

See the video with the highlights of the Street Party 2023 »

---

Call for performers

You are invited to perform at our Diverse Residents, One Community Street Party festival on June 15th!

This is a good opportunity to show your unique talents through a day of music, dance, and food from all over the world.

Contact us before June 1st:

• Belén Mosqueda:
  belenm@fcjrefugeecentre.org
  Tel.: 416 469 9754 ext 233

Two teams from the FCJ Refugee Centre delivered this Thursday to MP Mary Ng (Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development) and MP Mark Holland (Minister of Health) a total of 38,758 signatures of people —organizations and constituents in Ajax and Markham-Thornhil—, asking the MPs to support regularization for undocumented people and permanent resident status for all migrants.

Following is the text of the petition letter delivered to both MPs.

We are organizations and constituents in Ajax/Markham-Thornhil. Today, we are delivering the names of 38,758 people who have written to you in the last year asking that you support regularization for undocumented people and permanent resident status for all migrants. We are here to support you in supporting regularization.

Immigration Minister Marc Miller promised to bring a proposal on regularization to Cabinet in the Spring. It’s Spring now. Soon you will get a vote on the future of half a million undocumented people in the country. With tens of thousands of others, we are calling on you to support a regularization program that guarantees permanent resident status to all undocumented people without exclusions and without delay.

The last major regularization program was in 1973 under then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Migrant organizing resulted in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau promising regularization in December 2021. It’s been 27 months since that promise. Every day of delay means continued abuse, exploitation and deportation. You have a historic opportunity to make a difference!

Almost every major civil society, labour, health and environmental organization in Canada has joined the call for full and permanent immigration status for all migrants including undocumented people – nearly 500 organizations – including many in our riding. The Mayors of Montreal and Toronto have sent letters and thousands have sent you emails. Your support of regularization will mean accolades and support for you in your riding in the next election.

Undocumented people already live here. These are not new arrivals. They have jobs, families, and roots in our communities. But they are unable to get any social services, benefits or protections because they are denied permanent resident status. Undocumented migrants are exploited by bad bosses and landlords, and face discrimination, abuse and deportation. Regularizing them, that is granting them permanent resident status, is about including them in the family of rights. It just makes sense. A comprehensive and inclusive regularization program will:

• Build your legacy: There are at least half a million undocumented people in Canada who once regularized will become voting citizens and be able to participate in the democratic process.
• Combat poverty and grow the economy: Undocumented people work in cash-based jobs, or are under-employed. Regularized migrants will be able to work where they want and what they are skilled for and earn more income. A recent report about regularization in France, when applied to Canada, showed that regularization will increase economic activity by $28 billion per year.
• Fund public services while application costs will be cost neutral: Most undocumented people pay taxes but their employers, many of whom operate very profitable businesses, do not pay remittances. Regularizing 500,000 undocumented people will increase employer CPP and EI contributions by at least $5.6 billion, just in the first year. On the other hand, the cost of application processing will be met with existing funding and application fees.
• Increase worker rights: Employers of undocumented workers steal wages and threaten them with deportations to stop them from asserting their rights. This abuse results in overall worsening of working conditions in the labour market for migrants and citizens alike. Regularization will allow workers to leave bad jobs, and punish bad actors. This will improve working conditions for everyone.
• Ensure public health: Migrants do not access healthcare until it is absolutely necessary due to high fees. By the time they do, their health conditions are much worse, and the impact on the healthcare system is much higher. Regularization will improve all our health.
• Counter racism and gender inequality: Undocumented people are mostly racialized, low-waged people, often women. Regularization will give them the power to defend themselves against systemic exploitation. Women will be able to speak out against gender violence and leave conditions of domestic abuse.
• Build on best practices around the world: Regularization is a widely used policy tool – between 1996 and 2008, 24 of the 27 EU Member States implemented regularization programs, and some several times. An estimated 5.5 to 6 million people were regularized in that time.

The time for regularization is now. We urge you to get it done.

Your constituents and thousands of people across the country.

During National Volunteer Week, we come together to recognize and celebrate the importance of each and every volunteer’s impact.

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2024 is Every Moment Matters. It highlights the importance of every volunteer and each contribution they make at a moment when we need support more than ever. The sharing of time, skills, empathy, and creativity is vital to the inclusivity, strength, and wellbeing of our communities.

At FCJ Refugee Cetre we have been working in solidarity with our community since the foundation of our organization. Our volunteers have generously contributed their time to support our ELL classes, donate monthly, support our campaigns and events, and engage in various other valuable activities.

We are immensely grateful for their support and believe that their efforts will help us weave a stronger bond within our community.

If you are interested in volunteering with us please apply here.

Join us and make a difference!

The Canadian Council for Refugees called today on the federal government to create a national plan that addresses the growing number of refugee claimants and ensures the right to asylum.

The proposal was presented by Gauri Sreenivasan (co-executive director, Canadian Council for Refugees), Loly Rico (founder, FCJ Refugee Centre), Allan Reesor McDowell (executive director, Matthew House Ottawa), and Jenny Jeanes (detention program coordinator, Action Réfugiés Montréal and vice-president, Canadian Council for Refugees), during a news conference in Ottawa to mark National Refugee Rights Day, April 4.

“Today, April 4th, marks Refugee Rights Day, a day set aside in Canada to honour the 1985 Supreme Court decision which confirmed that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the fundamental rights of refugee claimants in Canada, guaranteeing them a fair hearing,” said Gauri Sreenivasan.

“Refugee claimants,” she added, “are those who are seeking protection after arriving on Canadian soil, as opposed to those receiving refugee status overseas. They have often survived perilous journeys to seek safety here, and the vast majority, almost three out of four last year, are found to be refugees needing protection.”

“But this special day rings hollow. Forty years after the landmark Supreme Court decision, the rights of refugee claimants in Canada are still not being respected. In a country that prides itself on its leadership and know how in welcoming and settling refugees from abroad, shockingly, there is no system in place to deal with claimants who arrive at our shores,” Sreenivasan denounced.

False narratives

“Instead, we are seeing a false narrative bandied about by political leaders that unfairly labels refugee claimants as a crisis, and an approach that is focused either on futile and dangerous attempts to stop refugees from seeking safety here, or costly short term emergency responses that serve neither the public nor refugees,” Gauri Sreenivasan said.

“Far too many claimants are ending up homeless or bused to isolated hotels, lost in a confusing system without supports or legal counsel. In the past six months alone, two unhoused refugee claimants have died in the Greater Toronto Area for lack of adequate supports. Canadians are rightly appalle,” she stated.

“It is time to change both the conversation and the approach to refugee claimants in Canada. The good news is that this country is more than capable. I’m here with leading representatives from the membership of the Canadian Council for Refugees, who know firsthand that with some key adjustments to the infrastructure already in place, and a proactive mindset, we can redirect wasteful expenses,” Sreenivasan explained.

“We can replicate what we know works so that those fleeing persecution are treated fairly, and can live and contribute to our country in safety. Today, the CCR is calling for a coordinated, national approach to ensure the right to asylum with dignity. This requires contributions from federal, provincial, municipal governments and civil society, but federal leadership will be key, and it is time for Ottawa to step up,” she added.

Five key areas

Sreenivasan listed five “key areas” that require action: “First, establish reception centres to orient arrivals and coordinate services; second, fund and replicate successful transitional housing models; third, make claimants eligible for the support services that are already offered to all other newcomers; ensure legal aid is available across the country; and lastly, streamline the application and determination process.”

Elaborating on the first two recommendations, Alan Reeser McDowell, executive director, Matthew House Ottawa, said: “In collaboration with provincial and municipal governments, as well as civil society, ee recommend that the federal government established reception centres to provide emergency shelter, triage, orientation and referral services. For newly arrived refugee claimants in major cities across the country, having a centre to receive expert guidance upon arrival will help refugee claimants get and stay on track with their claims and settlement process.”

“A centre responsible for coordination can also play a critical role in ensuring services are appropriate and complimentary. Leading to better outcomes for refugees and very likely with significant cost savings for governments. The work underway to establish a reception centre for the Peel region with federal funding is a positive sign and should be replicated,” he added.

Transitional housing

“We also recommend that the federal government provides sustained funding for transitional housing for refugee claimants, scaling up existing successful models, which will complement the reception centres over the last three decades. Civil society has, on its own initiative, developed a network of at least 35 organizations across the country that offer short term and transitional housing for refugee claimants,” Alan Reeser McDowell explained.

“Initial findings indicates that these programs operate at a fraction of the cost of hotels or homeless shelters. For example, at Matthew House, Ottawa, where I work, average cost per bed is less than 35 a day. Yet programs like ours often respond far better to the needs of refugee claimants who are newly arrived,” he said.

“These programs typically provide food, connections to a lawyer, getting help with a work permit and finding a job. Perhaps most importantly, they provide community of support that is critical to well being and mental health. Residents are also supported in securing longer term housing, leading to shorter stays in transitional housing, and easing pressures on emergency shelters and related services. With predictable long term government funding, successful models for refugee claimant transitional housing can be scaled up and replicated with immediate benefits,” he said.

Dignity from the beginning

Loly Rico, FCJ Refugee Centre’s Founder, to spoke about the CCR recommendation around services. She explained that the federal government, through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, provide wraparound settlement services to newcomers, “but refugee claimants are not eligible for that services, and that impact on the beginning of their lives [in Canada]”.

“We have seen right now, with the case of Ukrainians, that they were providing settlement services to them, with the purpose that they can start integrating into the Canadian society,” she said. “Vast majority of refugee claimants, they become the future Canadians, and what we are asking is that the federal government give eligible refugee claimants access to the settlement services, so they can have a dignified life at the beginning, when they come to Canada. That’s what we are asking,” she added.

“At he FCJ Refugee Centre we havea few refugee houses where we provide minimum or basic services to them, and they have been successful at the end, when they become Canadians,” Rico said. “What we are asking is to have wraparound services, so we won’t see situations where they end up homeless, or on the street, or even losing their life because they come and they don’t have access to these services,” she added.

Effective legal representation

Jenny Jeanes, vice-president of Canadian Council for Refugees, pointed out that “effective legal representation is essential for fair and effective refugee determination, and for coordination of all of these systems. Many people don’t realize the complexity of refugee claims. Things like, are you eligible for state protection? Is there an internal flight alternative? These are notions that would be complicated for Canadians, let alone refugee claimants who’ve just arrived here seeking protection.”

“Currently, there is a severe shortage of legal aid across the country, and in provinces where it exists, it’s underfunded, and many people don’t have access to effective legal representation. In some provinces, like Saskatchewan, for example, it simply does not exist,” Jeanes said.

“To be able to ensure that people can promptly and correctly present their refugee claim and have access to a fair hearing, fair refugee determination down the line, it’s essential that they have legal representation. We’re calling on the federal government to ensure that funding for legal aid. Multi-year funding that’s stable, predictable, linked to the number of claims and reflects the actual cost of determining refugee statu,” she added.

---

Following is the brief with the proposed measures for a National Plan, as published by the Canadian Council for Refugees.

A National Plan for Asylum with Dignity: Five Key Pillars

Canada is a global leader in resettling refugees approved by the UN prior to their arrival in Canada. Our extensive national welcome system, while not perfect, sets such refugees up for success by providing information, services and logistical support so they can find housing, work and community.

Unfortunately, no similar system exists for refugee claimants arriving without pre-approval—who numbered more than 140,000 last year, a fifty percent increase over 2022. The right to claim asylum in another country is protected under international human rights covenants to which Canada is a signatory. The vast majority of those seeking refugee status in Canada after their arrival (over 70 percent in 2023) are ultimately determined to be refugees fleeing persecution. However, they must navigate a bureaucratic maze for two years or more, often without legal counsel, making their way with no orientation and little assistance. To find short and long-term housing, employment, a lawyer, even to register their children in school, they are left on their own, turning an already disorienting first days, months or years in Canada into a nightmare.

Despite sizable yet sporadic injections of short-term federal funding for temporary housing in hotels or homeless shelters, despite efforts by municipal and provincial governments, and despite the work of nongovernmental and community organizations, too many refugee claimants—people who have survived often perilous journeys to seek safety in Canada—are falling through the cracks.

Failing to plan is planning for failure—everybody loses

Canada’s approach to refugee claims has several fundamental strengths, notably the refugee determination process, which is admired throughout the world, as well as access to work permits and the provision of health care through the Interim Federal Health Program. However, the rising numbers of people driven from their homes around the world to our doorstep demands more than stopgap measures. Spending hundreds of millions on hotel rooms, which is what the federal government is currently doing, may keep this problem out of sight for a while, but it serves neither claimants nor the public. The lack of a coordinated response from all three levels of government fails those who have a right to asylum, puts local governments and community groups in short-term reaction mode, and leaves Canadians shocked and upset that so many claimants end up homeless in a country that prides itself on its openness to refugees.

People in Canada are increasingly being told that refugee claimants are causing a “crisis”— a situation Canada is unable to handle. This is simply not the case. Our country has the infrastructure, the know-how and the resources. With some key adjustments to the infrastructure in place and a proactive mindset, governments together with civil society can repurpose what already exists, redirect wasteful expenses, and replicate what we know works, so that those fleeing persecution are treated fairly and can live in safety.

Five key areas for federal action

The measures we propose will set refugees up for success in Canadian society, at a fraction of the cost that is currently spent on emergency measures.

#1 Establish reception centres in cities with large numbers of claimants to orient arrivals and coordinate services, in collaboration with provincial and municipal governments and civil society.

While adapted to local needs, all such centres should provide orientation and referral services to newly arrived refugee claimants—both those who need shelter and those who have found it. They triage claimants’ needs and connect them to relevant service providers. The work underway to establish a reception centre for the Peel Region with federal funding is a positive sign of collaboration that should be built upon. For example, CCR members in Ottawa are organizing with support from city officials for a similar project, and are ready to engage with the federal government.

In addition, such centres can facilitate the movement of refugee claimants within a city and to regions where the capacity to welcome and settle them exists. Finally, the centres can provide emergency shelter where needed, with access to immediate respite supports.

Having a single venue for receiving expert guidance from the outset will greatly alleviate stress for exhausted and overwhelmed refugee claimants. It will help claimants stay on track with their claims, leading to better outcomes for refugees and savings for government. And it will facilitate the work of refugee support organizations. A centre responsible for coordination can also play a critical role in ensuring services are appropriate and complementary.

#2 Provide sustained federal funding for short term and transitional housing for refugee claimants, scaling up the successful experiences of civil society, diaspora and community groups, to complement provincial and municipal efforts.

Civil society has on its own initiative, developed a network of 35 shelters across the country that offer emergency short term and transitional housing for refugee claimants. They run at a fraction of the cost of hotels or homeless shelters yet respond far better to claimants’ needs. Crucially, this network also offers food, assistance in finding a lawyer and help applying for a work permit. Perhaps most importantly it provides a community of support that is critical to wellbeing and mental health. These homes also help residents find long-term housing, leading to shorter stays in transitional housing and easing pressures on homeless shelters.

Diaspora community organizations and faith groups have also devised innovative ways to provide emergency shelter and social supports.

With predictable long-term government funding, this refugee housing network could be scaled up to serve many more claimants in need of housing and supports on arrival. Such funding would encourage provinces and municipalities to replicate this successful model for claimants, while investing in affordable housing for all.

#3 Make refugee claimants eligible for the support services offered to other newcomers under the Settlement Program run by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

A highly developed network of organizations across the country offering specialized services to new arrivals already exists, however their hands are tied as they are not allowed to serve refugee claimants. Extending IRCC’s existing successful settlement program to include refugee claimants would be a fast and cost-efficient way of providing quality services to claimants. The Program provides needs and assets assessment and referrals, information and orientation, language training, employment-related services and community connections. There is already precedent for this – in 2022, access to settlement services was exceptionally (but appropriately!) extended to Ukrainians fleeing war who would have been otherwise ineligible due to their temporary status. Refugee claimants deserve no less.

Note that the vast majority of refugee claims are ultimately approved—roughly three in four in 2023, meaning most claimants will eventually become eligible for these services anyway. The proposed approach would simply ensure that they have access to them when they are most needed. Settlement support would allow claimants to better navigate the refugee claim process and meet key deadlines, thus contributing to a fairer and more efficient refugee determination system. In 2023, IRCC’s Strategic Immigration Review recognized just such a need to “improve services to those seeking asylum to ensure a human approach”.

#4 Ensure that adequate legal aid coverage is available for refugee claimants in all parts of the country supported by multi-year funding.

Representation by qualified counsel is needed from the beginning through to the end of the refugee claim process if claims are to be initiated promptly and correctly and a fair hearing held. Multiyear federal funding of legal aid is essential to remove the serious barriers to legal representation that refugee claimants face. It would address the severe shortage of legal aid lawyers by encouraging provinces to set compensation rates that bring more professionals into the system. Federal funding should be worked out with legal aid organizations, based on cost per claim, and tied to actual numbers of claims.

Crucially the federal government should fund a diversity of organizations to ensure legal aid services are available to claimants in provinces where the provincial program does not cover refugee claims (New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island). The successful experience of the Halifax Refugee Clinic, for example, which receives federal funding to provide legal services in Nova Scotia, could be replicated in other provinces.

#5 Streamline the initial stage of the claims process and eliminate the backlog in the subsequent determination process with small but significant adjustments.

A complete solution to the long delays and unnecessary costs of the refugee claims process may require a comprehensive revision of the eligibility rules, including legislative change. However, the process could be significantly simplified with small adjustments now, especially to the initial stage. Dispensable questions could be identified and eliminated, information could be collected in the language of the claimant, and timeframes could be made more realistic.

Allowance could be made for the many claimants who lack the level of literacy and access to equipment required to utilize the online portal. (While in theory exceptions are allowed, in practice they are almost never granted.) And claimants could be given documentation identifying them as such immediately, so that they can access vital services, such as opening a bank account.

These steps to simplify the initial stage will shorten the time period during which claimants need social assistance and emergency housing. For the subsequent determination stage, adequate funding tied to the number of claims received will eliminate backlogs and safeguard our internationally respected model, while shortening the waiting period for claimants.

On the occasion of Refugee Rights Day, celebrated every year in Canada on April 4, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has proclaimed April 2024 as “Refugee Rights Awareness Month” in the City of Toronto.

Refugee Rights Day is celebrated in the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s 1985 ruling that stated that refugee claimants are entitled to fundamental rights.

In this ruling, known as the Singh Decision, the Supreme Court found that the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the fundamental rights of refugees.

The Court decided that “everyone” includes refugee claimants in the sentence: “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.”

Following is the full text of the Toronto City Council’s Proclamation:

Whereas this month we acknowledge and recognize the April 1985 Supreme Court of Canada decision that everyone, particularly refugee claimants in Canada, have the right to be treated fairly and equally in a court of law. This decision has been recognized under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Toronto strives to be a welcoming and inclusive city for everyone, including refugees who choose to make Toronto home. We recognize the important contributions that refugees make as valued members of our communities and we must do better to ensure all refugees feel safe and welcomed in our city.

The City’s Toronto Newcomer Office coordinates City divisions and collaborates with community partners to ensure that support systems are effectively mobilized for the arrival of incoming refugees. Through official initiatives such as the Refugee Resettlement Program, Refugee Capacity Plan, and Toronto Newcomer Strategy (2022 – 2026), the City of Toronto aims to provide responsive supports to assist refugees as they settle in our city.

The City of Toronto gratefully acknowledges the tremendous community efforts that are taking place across Toronto to provide emergency supports. As we engage in the important work needed to make Toronto a place of safety, security and belonging, we will continue to listen and learn from the best practices, and models of excellence led by our valued community partners.

We are stronger when we work together to make Toronto an equitable and inclusive place for all and a city where everyone feels welcomed and valued.

Now therefore, I, Mayor Olivia Chow, on behalf of Toronto City Council, do hereby proclaim April 2024 as “Refugee Rights Awareness Month” in the City of Toronto.

---

Gallery: April 2024 exhibition in the Toronto City Hall Rotunda, showcasing artwork and stories from undocumented residents in Toronto sharing their experiences, as well as information about Refugee Rights Day.
Photos: Toronto Newcomer Office.

FCJ Refugee Centre Board of Directors
Public Statement, April 2nd, 2024

---

The FCJ Refugee Centre’s Board of Directors is pleased to announce a series of changes in the structure of the organization’s leadership team.

Loly Rico is stepping down as Executive Director and assuming a new role as Founder with a focus on advocacy and fundraising.

At the same time, Senior Director Diana Gallego and Associate Director Tsering Lhamo are assuming new roles as Co-Executive Directors. Associate Director Carolina Teves is assuming a new role as Senior Director, and is the third member of the new leadership team.

Diana Gallego will continue overseeing the Centre’s Immigration and Protection programs and supporting resource development.

Tsering Lhamo will continue overseeing the Centre’s Settlement and Integration programs and managing the Centre’s finances.

Carolina Teves will continue overseeing the Communications and Public Education areas and will support the Co-Executive Directors.

With this announcement, the Board would like to express its deepest gratitude to Loly for almost 35 years of tireless and dedicated service to the community. Together with her late husband, Francisco Rico- Martínez, and the support of the FCJ Sisters, Loly helped establish FCJ Hamilton House Refugee Project – co-leading what became FCJ Refugee Centre and serving as the Centre’s Executive Director when Francisco passed away in 2021.

We congratulate the new leadership team, Diana, Tsering and Carolina, and we thank them for their ongoing support of the Centre’s mission and mandate. We also want to highlight that, with them, the organization will be led by three racialized refugee women, thus continuing the legacy of the Centre.

Sharry Aiken
President of the Board of Directors
FCJ Refugee Centre

---

Biographical notes

Loly Rico. Formally trained as a physiotherapist, Loly started working with Down syndrome children in El Salvador, becoming aware of how their human rights were abused, and how the tremendous needs of these children were not addressed by the government. Later on, she became more deeply involved in social justice in El Salvador. Upon arrival in Canada, through her own experience as a refugee she became acutely aware of the situation of refugees in this part of the world. In 1991, she and her husband, Francisco Rico-Martínez, founded the FCJ Hamilton House Refugee Project, with the invaluable support of the Sisters, Faithful Companions of Jesus. Loly has a deep understanding of what is involved in setting up a safe environment for a vulnerable group, one that invites them to rebuild a sense of self, and gives them tools to regain lost confidence. In 2004, the City of Toronto awarded her the Constance E. Hamilton Award, for her unflinching commitment and contribution to women’s rights and social justice. In 2022, she was one of the recipients of the YWCA Women of Distinction Awards, in the category of Refugee Rights. She has also received the YMCA Peace Medallion.

Diana Gallego. Diana is a Colombian-trained lawyer, with experience in advocacy, human rights and social justice. In 2002, Diana was forced to flee Colombia with her husband and son. This experience shaped a new commitment and led her into working with immigrants and refugees. Diana graduated in Community Work from George Brown College in Toronto, where she is currently a part time professor in the Centre for Community Services. She joined the FCJ Refugee Centre in 2015. In 2023 she was elected president of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR). Within the CCR, she also serves on the Inland Protection steering committees, where the social and economic integration of refugees and family reunification are two of the main focuses of her advocacy. Diana has been part of the Canadian Council for Refugees for the last 17 years and is the first Amina Malko Fund recipient to become CCR President.

Tsering Lhamo. Tsering came to Canada in the early 2000s as a refugee claimant. She joined the FCJ Refugee Centre in 2017 as a student placement while pursuing her diploma in Social Service Worker from Seneca College. Tsering’s work with migrants of precarious status is deeply intertwined with her personal narrative as a third-generation Tibetan stateless refugee. Tsering is currently Co-Chair of the Housing Network in the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR).

Carolina Teves. Carolina earned two bachelor’s degrees from Universidad Centro Americana José Simeon Cañas (San Salvador), in Education and Journalism. She worked as a teacher of literature in high school and, after completing her degree in Journalism, Carolina committed herself to a career in that field. She began working as a journalist with the university radio station YSUCA, focusing on human rights. She worked at the radio station for over ten years, and in 1999 she also took on a teaching position at Universidad Centro Americana to teach radio production: writing, editing, etc. In the fall of 2001, Carolina came as a refugee to Canada from El Salvador with her husband and three children. In 2003, she started her career at FCJ Refugee Centre, first as a volunteer, next as the receptionist, after that as Communication and Public Education Coordinator, and then as the Associate Director in Communication and Access to Education.

---

About FCJ Refugee Centre

FCJ Refugee Centre helps uprooted people overcome the challenges of rebuilding their lives in Canadian society. With an open-door approach, the Centre offers an integrated model of refugee protection, settlement services and education, including shelter for women and their children. Today FCJ Refugee Centre serves thousands of people per year and has a vital role, both locally and nationally, in supporting and advocating for refugees and other uprooted people.

FCJ Refugee Centre joined the hundreds of people who took to the streets of Toronto this Saturday, united in the Migrant Spring March.

Once more, we demanded Permanent Resident status for all migrants, and we asked the federal government to keep its promise to bring regularization to the cabinet in the spring.

Photo Gallery:

Our Winter 2024 Newsletter is ready! Check it out and find all the information about the activities we have going on, the upcoming events and the events we have participated in, and everything that has happened at and around the Centre during these last few months, including updates from our programs (Youth, Access to Education, Food Security, Anti-Human Trafficking, the clinic…) and our new monthly donation campaign.

You will also find an article about the current housing crisis, FCJ’s position about the reimposing visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, a chronicle of the launching of the report Multiple Jeopardy: Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-status families and workers in the GTA, and much more.

We are excited to announce the launch of our Friends of FCJ Monthly Donation Campaign, set to kick off this March.

In our efforts to sustain our core programs through increased monthly donations, this will help us to continue to walk with refugees and precarious migrants without interruptions in our work.

As part of our campaign, we are introducing donation tiers, each with its unique name:

We invite you to consider becoming a monthly donor and joining us in our mission to provide vital support and resources to refugees and newcomers in need.

Your consistent contribution will make a significant difference in the lives of those we serve.

Please fill out and submit the following form to become a monthly donor:

Our campaign coincides with CanadaHelps’ MakeItMonthly initiative, running throughout March 2024. During this special period, CanadaHelps will generously match new monthly donations of $20 from new donors. Moreover, for every existing monthly donor who increases their contribution by $10 or more, CanadaHelps will contribute an extra $10.

Additionally, we want to emphasize that every contribution matters, regardless of the amount.

If you’re unable to reach the suggested tiers for monthly donations, or if you prefer to make a one-time donation, please know that your support is deeply valued and appreciated.

Every gesture of generosity helps us move closer to our goals.

To learn more about how you can contribute, please visit our donate page or feel free to reach out to us directly.

Thank you for your continued support and dedication to our cause. Together, we can make a lasting impact and create a more welcoming and inclusive community for all.

The federal government is reimposing visa requirements on Mexican nationals visiting Canada, with new rules that started taking effect this February 29.

In a statement published today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated the following:

As of February 29, 2024 at 11:30 PM EST, Mexican citizens will need a visa to enter Canada unless they meet certain criteria. Most existing electronic travel authorizations (eTAs) for Mexican passport holders are being cancelled.

Mexican citizens may reapply for a new eTA if they are flying to Canada and: (1) held a Canadian visitor visa in the last 10 years, or (2) currently hold a valid United States non-immigrant visa. Otherwise, they need a visa.

Mexican citizens with a valid Canadian work or study permit are not affected. Their eTA will not be cancelled and they can continue to travel to Canada.

Mexican citizens without a valid work or study permit who are already in Canada may stay for as long as they are authorized, but their eTA will be cancelled. If they leave Canada and wish to return, they’ll need a visa or a new eTA, if eligible.

Mexican travellers may experience delays when arriving at Canadian airports due to the changing entry requirements.

More information about what to do if you are a citizen of Mexico planning travel to Canada is available on the IRCC website:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2024/02/updated-travel-information-for-mexican-citizens-coming-to-canada.html

Bring your talent and help us fundraise for refugees!

FCJ Refugee Centre and neighbours are hosting an amazing Art & Show benefit, and we are looking for your support.

Whether it’s a beautiful piece of art or a short poem, your participation will make a difference.

Are you a talented refugee with great artistic skills? Do you have art that you would like to share with people? Do you want a platform that provides you with exposure and the opportunity to network with other artists and people from the community?

Take advantage of this amazing opportunity. Please get in touch with us before April 30th by writing an email to:
resourcedevelopment@fcjrefugeecentre.ca

When:

• June 27, 28, 29, 2024

Where

• Friend’s House
  60 Lowther Ave, Toronto, ON M5R 1C7

Sending support to the FCJ Refugee Centre has never been easier.

Now you can simply e-transfer your donation to finance@fcjrefugeecentre.org, and your contribution will go directly towards empowering uprooted individuals and making a lasting impact.

Skip the paperwork, avoid the hassle—donate with ease!

Thank you for choosing the convenient way to make a difference.

Check out all the different ways to contribute:

Toronto Public Health (TPH) has just opened new community vaccination clinics to help school-aged children catch up on their routine vaccinations. In a press release, TPH highlighted that “keeping up to date with vaccinations is essential in maintaining high immunization coverage and effectively preventing and controlling various diseases.”

The community clinics, opened since Friday, January 19, will offer vaccines under:

• The Province of Ontario’s Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA). Under the ISPA, students are required to be vaccinated against nine vaccine-preventable diseases* or have a valid exemption to avoid suspension from school. More information is available on the City’s Report Student Vaccination webpage.
• The Student Immunization Program (SIP). TPH hosts school-based clinics during school hours to students who attend the school. These clinics are not open to the public. Parental consent is required. More information is available on the City’s School Immunization Program webpage.

Accessible locations

Clinics are situated in accessible locations, requiring appointments booked on the City’s TPH Appointment Booking System webpage. Operating on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m., these clinics are available throughout the school year at three key locations:

• Etobicoke Civic Centre, 399 The West Mall
• Scarborough Civic Centre, 150 Borough Dr.
• North York Civic Centre, 5100 Yonge St.

In the coming weeks, clinic offerings will expand to include weekends and Professional Activity (PA) days for the purpose of accessibility and convenience.

With the support of local school boards, TPH will bring SIP vaccines directly into high schools with low vaccination rates later in January. When clinics are confirmed, more information will be available on the City’s School Immunization Program webpage.

To encourage an increase in vaccination, TPH has resumed issuing non-compliance suspension orders under the ISPA for the 2023-24 school year. This will allow TPH to focus on assessing school vaccine records to ensure compliance and safety.

Notifications

Parents and guardians will receive advance notice of pending vaccination requirements before suspension orders are issued by TPH. Parents and guardians will then have 15 school days from receiving the suspension order to either obtain the necessary vaccines or submit a valid exemption. If the student remains non-compliant with vaccination requirements after 15 days, suspension will be implemented.

Parents and guardians can visit one of TPH’s community clinics or their healthcare provider to receive routine immunizations and ensure ISPA compliance. Once students have received their vaccines, parents and guardians are asked to enter the record into the Immunization Connect Ontario (ICON) webpage, a secure online provincial system that tracks and reports a student’s immunizations to TPH. ICON can then generate an electronic vaccination card so parents and guardians have the student’s complete vaccination record.

Starting on Thursday, January 25, clinics will also offer Novavax and pediatric COVID-19 vaccines to children five years of age and under. TPH is accepting appointments on the TPH booking website as of January 23.

---

* Measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio, meningococcal, pertussis (whooping cough), varicella (chickenpox: only applies to students born on or after 2010). Hepatitis b and human papillomavirus are strongly recommended but are not required.

Press release from the Canadian Council for Refugees:

The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) is pleased to announce that Diana Gallego was elected President at its Annual General Meeting on November 18th 2023. Diana has been a member of the CCR Executive Committee since last year, and comes from FCJ Refugee Centre in Toronto, where she serves as Senior Director. Diana is proudly the first Amina Malko Fund recipient to become CCR President.

Jenny Jeanes was re-elected for her second term as Vice-President, representing Action Réfugiés Montréal.

“As President of the CCR for the 2024-2025 period, I am looking forward to upholding our organization’s mission of advocating for social justice and transformation by challenging racism, colonialism and intersecting oppressions.” – said Diana Gallego. “Along with the rest of the CCR team, we hope to bring about attention and change to key issues such as the Safe Third Country Agreement, the regularization program, and keeping Canada as a welcoming country for refugees and migrants. I extend my thanks to all members and supporters of the CCR for the trust you have placed in me, and I look forward to beginning this journey with you all.

Diana Gallego takes over from Aleks Dughman-Manzur, who served as President from the end of 2021, and will continue on the Executive as Past President.

Biographical notes

Diana Gallego is a Colombian-trained lawyer, with experience in advocacy, human rights and social justice. In 2002, Diana was forced to flee Colombia with her husband and son. This experience shaped a new commitment and led her into working with immigrants and refugees. Diana graduated in Community Work from George Brown College in Toronto. She is a part time professor in the Centre for Community Services at George Brown College. Diana Joined the FCJ Refugee Centre in 2015 and is now its Senior Director.

Within the CCR, she also serves on the Inland Protection steering committees of the CCR, where the social and economic integration of refugees and family reunification are two of the main focuses of her advocacy. Diana has been part of the Canadian Council for Refugees for the last 17 years and is the first Amina Malko Fund recipient to become CCR President.

Our traditional holiday toys and baskets distribution started! Thank you to everyone who donated and contributed to making our food drive a big success. Your support has made this holiday season special for 110 families in need.

A special acknowledgment to the Toronto Star Children’s Charities Santa Claus Fund for the gift boxes, to CP24 CHUM Christmas Wish for their toy donations, to the United Steel Workers for the food baskets, to Luciano’s NoFrills for their help, and to all the private donors from the community.

Thank you!

“He was a community builder. He believed we can’t do the work we do without being in solidarity and building community with a human rights lens.” This is how Loly Rico, the Executive Director of FCJ Refugee Centre, described her husband, the late Francisco Rico-Martínez, during the ceremony of the 2023 Guthrie Award, presented posthumously this Wednesday by The Law Foundation of Ontario to the man who, always along with Loly herself, was Co-Director and soul of the FCJ Refugee Centre for 30 years, until his death in 2021.

“The name Francisco Rico-Martínez is synonymous with the rights of refugees,” said Linda Rothstein, the Foundation’s Board Chair, when the award was announced. “He devoted his life to ‘walking with uprooted people’ (the moto of the FCJ Refugee Centre), and used his passionate voice and empathy to inspire a more just, fair, and humane immigration system.” The Guthrie Award, the Law Foundation’s signature award, recognizes exceptional access to justice champions.

It was an inspiring and emotional evening for everyone attending the award ceremony, more than a hundred people including family, colleagues, friends, community members… All of them gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Francisco.

Loly Rico received the award on behalf of Francisco, accompanied by their daughter: “With Francisco, what you saw was what you got. He was the kind of person who truly walked the talk,” she said. “He believed that each person not only deserves a dignified life, but can also give a contribution to society. For some of my colleagues he became a mentor, a confidante, a friend, a teacher. Also, he was a person that always was pushing to the maximum. He believed that we could do more than an extra mile. At the same time, he was a community builder. He believed we can’t do the work we do without being in solidarity and building community with a human rights lens”, she added.

“Francisco believed that each person not only deserves a dignified life, but can also give a contribution to society”

In her speech, Loly honoured Franciso by reading the last letter he wrote to join the Department of Imaginary Affairs Canada. In this letter, Loly said, Francisco shared his vision for “a just world where we can all fulfill our dreams and live in dignity,” envisioning an utopian future for Canada as “a rainbow made of all colours of humanity living together”. “I had dedicated my whole life in Canada to influence the creation of policies, programs, and services for the integration on new Canadians, reinventing home and the desire of belonging under the concept of diverse persons, one community. I want to share my passion for what I do. My life’s work is for the rights and protection of refugees and precarious migrants in Canada or wherever they are,” Francisco wrote.

Francisco was also remembered by Sharry Aiken, President of FCJ Refugee Centre’s Board of Directors, Associate Professor at Queen’s University, Faculty of Law, and who supported Francisco’s nomination. “Through both his long tenure as Co-Director of the FCJ Refugee Centre, as president of CCR and his extensive pro bono contributions as a volunteer and activist, Francisco truly embodied the values the Guthrie award aims to recognize,” she said.

“As an advocate for refugees and other uprooted people, his life’s work was centrally focused on promoting access to justice and justice itself for the most marginalized and vulnerable residents of our province. His life and career embodied a deep and abiding commitment to service and making the world a better, more just place for everyone,” Aiken added.

Aiken highlighted that Francisco “organized rallies, spearheaded community fundraising drives, engaged in incisive policy advocacy and had a truly impressive record of finding a way around any legal roadblock. Through op eds in print media and countless appearances in news and public affairs programs, Francisco was a leading voice for refugee and migrant rights in Canada.”

“Francisco was also unfailingly kind, generous and compassionate – with clients, professional colleagues, friends and even his adversaries in government”

Francisco, Aiken said, “was also unfailingly kind, generous and compassionate – with clients, professional colleagues, friends and even his adversaries in government. That a few of those adversaries attended his funeral mass at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church speaks volumes.”

The life of Francisco was also honoured and remembered by FCJ Sister Lois Anne Bordowitz, former President of FCJ Refugee Centre’s Board of Directors. Sr. Lois Anne joined the Centre in 1996, working with Francisco, and she still volunteers in the office, and at the Toronto Immigration Holding Centre.

“One of the things that impressed me about Francisco was that he walked the talk when it came to his respect for women. He was always the Co-Director with his wife Loly, which had many implications, including equal salaries. He promoted many programs for women at the FCJ Refugee Centre over the last 30 years,” she said.

“Francisco was a great believer in the potential of a person and was able to help bring it about,” Sister Lois Anne remarked. “I will always remember him as a great friend and passionate advocate, who vowed to keep the door open for refugees,” she added.

Gallery (68 pictures):

Our Fall 2023 Newsletter is ready! Check it out to find all the information about the prestigious Guthrie Award received posthumously by our beloved co-director Francisco Rico-Martínez; the participation of the FCJ Youth Network at the CCR Youth Action Gathering; an update of the services we provide in our primary health clinic; the Open House in which we opened our doors to the community after all the renovations we’ve been doing; the success of Ride for Refuge, our biggest fundraising event of the year (thank you!); the appointment of FCJ Refugee Centre’s Senior Director, Diana Gallego, as President of the Canadian Council for Refugees, and much more!