We welcome anyone asking for advice, counsel and support regarding immigration issues. Learn also about the Canada’s Refugee Process and our Refugee Hearing and Appeal Preparation program.
Welcome, bienvenue, bienvenidos.
Settlement
As part of our Settlement programs we provide temporary shelter for recently arrived women and their children, a primary health care clinic, English classes, and a series of workshops for women.
Youth Network
The FCJ Youth Network is a diverse group of newcomer youth that has welcomed over 80 members in the past year. They share experiences, support one another, and mobilize their knowledge to overcome the challenges that they face.
Human Trafficking
We offer direct services to people who have been trafficked, taking into account the range of supports needed, and walking with survivors through legal processes, immigration procedures, settlement and recovery.
Featured
Seeds of Hope
SEEDS OF HOPE: Stories written by FCJ Youth and ALLIES Creating a future in the shadows: A window onto experiences that are so rarely shared, highlighting voices that are too often silenced GET YOUR BOOK FOR ONLY $20.OO + $5.00 shipping If you want to receive it by mail (the shipping amount might vary if you order more than one …
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From Youth to You
This toolkit was born out of a growing need for youth, and particularly newcomer and precarious migrant youth, to feel more valued and included in various services that they access in the City of Toronto. Youth are often met with challenges when attempting to access services and participate in programs in different areas such as: settlement, education, legal, employment, recreation, …
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Syrian Refugees in Bulgaria: A Double Edged Sword
Syrian Refugees in Bulgaria: A Double Edged Sword is a report prepared by FCJ Refugee Centre after a delegation from Canadian Council for Refugees visit Bulgaria in June 2014. This visit had variety of goals including better understand the complex situation of Syrian asylum-seekers and refugees in Bulgaria. This understanding was facilitated by interviews with key stakeholders including state agencies, …
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Borderless Voices
Borderless Voices is an open space for anyone who wants to share their story and experiences in Canada. Through this new space, FCJ Refugee Centre is featuring stories of refugees and other voiceless communities. The first segment of this new section is focused on our 25 Anniversary and we are broadcasting short videos of successful stories and experiences from our …
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Our Fall/Winter Newsletter is out
Our seasonal newsletter provides exciting updates on:
- Every act of generosity counts!
- Fabian’s Story
- Selling Christmas trees at Ikea North York
- Art exhibition on January 3rd 2019
- A volunteer experience at the FCJ Primary Care Clinic
- FCJ Refugee Centre is pleased to receive funding from the Catalyst Grant
- A Ready Tour Story …..
Human rights and Canada’s leadership are as vital today as 70 years ago
Today, on the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) underlines its message that everyone is deserving of basic rights and human dignity, not because of their citizenship or their immigration status, but because they are human beings.
For refugees fleeing persecution, Article 14 of the Declaration is key: “Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.” This fundamental right is now part of international and Canadian law. On this basis, anyone who makes a refugee claim at the border or within Canada must be given a chance to explain why they need our protection.
Despite the promise of the Declaration, refugees and migrants still have their rights abused and face exploitation and situations of human trafficking around the world. Migrants are often subject to xenophobia and targeted by divisive politicians.
Canadians can be proud that Canada is showing leadership in bringing countries together to improve respect for the rights of all migrants with the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. While the Compact is not legally binding, it offers a pathway of cooperation between countries that will reduce the pressures forcing people to leave their home countries. When people do migrate, this new framework will increase respect for individual rights and allow receiving communities, including in Canada, to benefit more fully from migrants’ contributions.
As a world leader in championing human rights, Canada must strive to do better and respect the rights of refugees and migrants. This means that Canada should:
- Address the root causes that force people to leave their home countries (including climate change and Canadian involvement in situations of displacement).
- Resettle 20,000 Government-Assisted Refugees each year.
- Process Privately Sponsored Refugee applications within one year.
- Withdraw from the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement.
- Guarantee access to fair and independent refugee determination within a reasonable time.
- Reunite refugees in Canada with their families more quickly.
- Ensure access to justice for exploited or trafficked migrants.
- Offer access to permanent residence to all migrant workers.
- Ensure that immigration status does not bar access to key international rights in Canada. Canada too often ties rights and benefits to immigration status, excluding people with limited or no status.
http://ccrweb.ca/en/media/70-years-human-rights-Canada-leadership
Comprehensive Care Clinic in Central America for deportees
Thank you to Dr Jizi Moza, Director of the Clinic: Clinica Integral de Atención a Retornados, for sharing his experience working with returnees to El Salvador.
The presentation was very informative, It was great to learn about the impact of deportation on immigrants and how a Comprehensive Care Clinic has been set up in Central America to help them.
Every year, more than 13,000 people are deported from the United States to El Salvador. Dr Jizi Moza explained that many of them do not have access to basic services like health. People who was living for decades are deported to a country they have not seen in years.
Every act of generosity counts: show your support on Given Tuesday!!
FCJ Refugee Centre is making a call to everyone during this season to reflect on generosity and the work the centre does in making society a better place for vulnerable populations.
During this giving season, FCJ Refugee Centre calls on everyone to consider making a gift to show your support for refugees and other precarious migrants.
FCJ Refugee Centre relies on supporters like YOU to carry out important work so that we can walk with uprooted people in our community. We support refugee claimants, those without status, migrant workers, women and children in need of housing, we have a free health clinic, run a vibrant youth group and many other important initiatives that need support!
Please check out the campaign here and join us! https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/fcj-refugee-centre/p2p/fall2018campaign/
Every act of generosity counts, and each means even more when we give
together. #GivingTuesday includes people of all ethnicities, religions and
backgrounds.
We want to acknowledge the support we received from Roots Canada , we are so excited to gift our residents , children and youth with this warm clothing donations we received!! Thank you
We are back selling Christmas trees at IKEA: come and support us!
As part of the Holiday Season, FCJ Refugee Center has started to sell Christmas trees at Ikea north York location.
The tree selling season is from November 23th to December 24th. Every time that you buy a tree at this location, you will be supporting newcomers and refugees.
Also when you purchase a natural fir tree for $25 you will receive a coupon for $25 off an IKEA purchase.
Dispossession and Exclusion in Our Time: Transforming Our Reality with Monsignor Romero
- Due to immigration issues the event o has been postponed. We will keep you updated.
How Monsignor Romero’s philosophy is still relevant to the defense of human rights and today’s reality in Central America and elsewhere?
FCJ Refugee Centre invites you to celebrate the canonization of Monsignor Oscar Romero.
DISPOSSESSION AND EXCLUSION IN OUR TIME: TRANSFORMING OUR REALITY WITH MONSIGNOR ROMERO
Keynote speaker: Juan Vicente Chopin, Dean of Faculty of Theology at Don Bosco University in El Salvador
Monsignor Romero spoke out against injustice and brought attention to the underprivileged and the dispossessed. Today we see this type of dispossession through forced migration, and refugees fleeing war, social violence, gangs, poverty, and other factors. How can Monsignor Romero’s approach help those of us who are working to defend those who are excluded in the present day?
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Juan Vicente Chopin Portillo
Fr. Chopin has been unwavering in his efforts to secure justice in the assassination of Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero, on 24 March 1980. And he is also extremely qualified to speak about the legacy of Monsignor Romero and on how his philosophy can inform our struggle for human rights in the current times. Investigations by the United Nations, and other international bodies have established that the four assassins of Romero were members of a death squad led by Major Roberto D’Aubuisson, founder of the ARENA party.
Fr. Chopin points out that three separate institutions have incriminated D’Aubuisson in the case: the Truth Commission, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the Vatican Congregation on the Causes of Saints. He has been very active in refuting the claims of the ARENA party that their founder was not in fact the mastermind behind the murder.
Fall 2018 Campaign for the FCJ Refugee Centre!
To help fund its important work, the FCJ Refugee Centre has launched an ambitious Fall fundraising and awareness-raising campaign that includes several ways to support the centre. Please check it out here and join us!
We would like to invite you to help us keep celebrating by donating $25.00 (or more) to ensure our continued commitment to “walking with uprooted people.”
Canonization of the first Human Rights Ombudsman in El Salvador: Monsignor Oscar Romero
Celebrating the canonization of Monsignor Oscar Arnulfo Romero. You are invited to the events to celebrate the life of the first human rights ombudsman in El Salvador.
Seeds Of Hope (Graines d’Espoir)
Les histoires écrites par FCJ Youth et leur alliés. Créer un avenir dans l’ombre: Une fenêtre sur des expériences si rarement partagées, mettant en avant des voix trop souvent réduites au silence.
La Jeunesse A Vous
Cette trousse à outils est née de la nécessité croissante pour les jeunes, en particulier les jeunes immigrants et les jeunes migrants précaires, de se sentir plus valorisés et inclus dans les divers services auxquels ils ont accès dans la ville de Toronto. Les jeunes rencontrent souvent des difficultés lorsqu’ils tentent d’accéder à des services et participent à des programmes dans différents domaines, tels que: établissement, éducation, services juridiques, emploi, loisirs, etc.