FCJ Refugee Centre

Please find the information on our upcoming  activities and events.

The Summer Newsletter edition is dedicated to our Ride for Refuge event on September 29th 2018/.

We are looking for  your support!!
|Please join us:  https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?teamID=812418#&panel1-2

Come join the FCJ Refugee Centre teams and ride/walk and help us to help provide services for refugees!  The Ride for Refuge on Saturday, September 29, 2018 is a super-fun, family-friendly fundraiser that supports charities who provide refuge and hope for displaced, vulnerable and exploited people everywhere.

JOIN ONE  OF THE  FCJ REFUGEE CENTRE TEAMS

If you want to ride/walk with us or make a donation please follow the link:

https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/donate.aspx?eventid=241238&teamID=812418

 

You are invited to join a one-day training with Olivia Chow at Ryerson University.

The Safe Third Country Agreement is putting thousands of refugees in the way of harm. This agreement doesn’t have to continue. If we organize, we can end it.

1. The Institute will deliver a full-day training about how to tell your story to inspire action on social change, and how to plan a strategy with both a theory of change that builds and leverages power, and the most effective possible tactics.

 

2. Students will complete the workshop having practiced telling their story, and having received feedback on how to enhance their story. Participants will create a shared organizing statement with clear goals and a realistic timeline to organize to end the Safe Third Country Agreement

 

Venue:  Ryerson University, (Room Numbers are being confirmed)

Address: 350 Victoria St. Toronto ON

Registration: This is the link:  https://endthesafethirdcountry.eventbrite.ca

 

 

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“It is inhumane to risk making refugee claimants homeless to make a political statement. It is in violation of our international obligations and tradition, and Canadian values of social justice and human rights,” said Francisco Rico, co-director of FCJ Refugee Centre.

Recently Ontario civil society groups and refugee advocates urged the Government of Ontario to remain engaged in intergovernmental collaboration to resettle the large numbers of refugee claimants arriving irregularly in Canada from the United States.

Ontario civil society groups and refugee advocates urge the Government of Ontario to remain engaged in intergovernmental collaboration to resettle the large numbers of refugee claimants arriving irregularly in Canada from the United States.

The Ontario government has indicated it will step back from cooperating with the federal government on resettling refugee claimants. The Ontario response was reported by media following a recent meeting of the Ad Hoc Intergovernmental Task Force on Irregular Migration attended by Lisa McLeod, Minister Responsible for Women’s Issues and Minister of Children, Community and Social Services.

“We believe Ontario must be at the table to speak to the interests and priorities of municipalities that are trying to resettle refugee claimants in their communities” said Debbie Douglas, Executive Director of OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants. “The right of refugee claimants to seek protection is safeguarded in Canadian law, which builds on Canada’s international obligations” she added.

“Ontario has called on the federal government to cover the costs of refugee resettlement. If they really want the province and municipalities to be compensated they must be at the table” said Francisco Rico-Martinez of the Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Ontario. “It is inhumane to risk making refugee claimants homeless to make a political statement. It is in violation of our international obligations and tradition, and Canadian values of social justice and human rights” he added.

“We are deeply disturbed by politicians and media inaccurately describing refugee claimants as illegal entrants into Canada. Asylum seekers have the legal right to cross the border to make a refugee claim” said Lobat Sadrehashemi, President of Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers.

The Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the United States prevents asylum seekers from making a refugee claim at a regular border crossing. As a result they are entering Canada irregularly in order to ask for asylum, which is not illegal.

“Refugee claimants are among the most vulnerable in our society. We all have a responsibility to treat them with respect and dignity and ensure their rights are protected” said Shalini Konanur, Executive Director of South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario. “Most importantly our own laws and the international treaties signed by Canada require us to do so” she added.

“Toronto and many of the surrounding municipalities had housing challenges long before the current increase of refugee claimant arrivals. Blaming Ontario’s housing crisis on vulnerable refugee claimants who cannot fight back is reprehensible and does great harm to claimants” said Avvy Go of Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change. “Refugee claimants should never be used as pawns by anyone, let alone our political leaders” she added.
Ontario leads the country in the resettlement of refugees, playing a prominent role in fulfilling Canada’s international humanitarian commitments. We have a strong tradition of welcoming refugees and refugee claimants, and they require coordinated assistance from all three levels of government in order to succeed.

As civil society groups and refugee advocates that support this statement, we call for leadership from all three orders of government in the resettlement of refugee claimants. We also call on political leaders and media organizations to respect the rights of refugee claimants. This includes using responsible language and factual reporting in order not to inflame anti-refugee sentiment.

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Released by OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants, Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Ontario, Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change, OHIP For All, Refugee Lawyers Association and South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario

Contact:

Debbie Douglas, OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants ddouglas@ocasi.org or Amy Casipullai, OCASI – Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants acasipullai@ocasi.org

Francisco Rico-Martinez – Coalition of Service Providers for Refugee Claimants in Ontario franciscorico@fcjrefugeecentre.org

Avvy Go – Colour of Poverty – Colour of Change goa@lao.on.ca

Ritika Goel – OHIP For All ritikagoelto@gmail.com

Raoul Boulakia – Refugee Lawyers Association raoul@boulakia.ca

Shalini Konanur – South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario konanurs2@lao.on.ca

Our Diverse Residents One Community Celebration  as a successful event thanks to each one of you.

We appreciate it very much your support.

Thank you

 

 

 

 

Every year we celebrate diversity and the welcoming spirit of Canadian society. Join us, have fun, build community with us this Saturday July 14 from 1:30 to 8:30 pm

free food
music
performers
bouncy castles
games
face painting

BRING YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND NEIGHBOURS!!!
For more information you can contact us any time at our front desk with
Liduvina or Tseday: 416-469 97 54 or info@fcjrefugeecentre.org

 

 

We invite you to read our annual report 2017-2018 to learn about our programs, initiatives, services and more. Thank you to all our donors and FCJ Refugee Centre community for your support

 

FCJ Refugee Centre is celebrating the strength, courage, and determination of refugees around the world. Every year, World Refugee Day marks a key moment for raise awareness and show support for refugees.

JUNE 20: World Refugee Day “Refugees Belong” Walk

We Are Proud To Announce The June 20, 2018, “Refugees Belong” Walk, In Commemoration Of World Refugee Day.

The event is being co-organized by: Neighbourhood Legal Services, Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture, Sojourn House, Regent Park Community Health Centre, Central Neighbourhood House, FCJ Refugee Centre, COSTI, and the Oasis Centre des Femmes.

The “Refugees Belong” Walk will commence at the Yonge and Dundas intersection at 9:30 am (in front of the Refugee Law Office at 20 Dundas Street West) and will end with lunch and performances from 12-2 pm in Regent Park.

The “Refugees Belong” walk is an opportunity to reflect not only on the obligations of governments under the Refugee Convention to provide safe haven to persecuted people (and on Canada’s own track record in the Trump era), but also to dispel the myths that persist about refugees as a burden on the Canadian public.

 

At a time when refugee claimants in Canada continue to endure egregiously long waits to have their refugee claims determined at the Immigration and Refugee Board, and continue to face prolonged separation from their families, refugees and claimants must also contend with stereotypes – that refugees just want to take advantage of Canada’s social programmes, for example; refugees take jobs from Canadians; refugees are ‘illegal’.

The World Refugee Day “Refugees Belong” walk aims to encourage Canadians to choose facts over fears! Stops this year will be at local community organisations, so that participants get insight into the work being done on the ground to support refugees. At each stop, community members who arrived here as refugees and are now successful teachers, business owners, service providers, will map their journeys to belonging in Canada, as well as some of the challenges faced along the way. Speakers will also include community workers and lawyers.

Join us and show your support!

 

 

 

Nearly 1,800 immigrant families were separated at the U.S.-Mexico border from October 2016 through February of this year, according to a senior government official, as U.S. President Donald Trump implemented stricter border enforcement policies.

The numbers are the first comprehensive disclosure by the administration of how many families have been affected by the policies. Previously, the only numbers provided by federal officials on family separations covered a single two-week period in May.

The government official, who agreed to speak only on condition of anonymity, said he could not provide up-to-date statistics, but acknowledged the number of separations had risen sharply in recent weeks, largely because of new administration policies.

In May, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a “zero tolerance” policy in which all those apprehended entering the U.S. illegally would be criminally charged, which generally leads to children being separated from their parents

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-mexico-border-families-separated-1.4698831

SPRING IS HERE!! If you want to help others, this is the perfect time to do it!!

We are organising the FCJ Refugee Centre ANNUAL GARAGE SALE!!!!!
Start your spring cleaning! Clean your garage!
Donate to the FCJ Refugee Centre sidewalk sale!!!!

We will take gently used households items, shoes, kitchen items, toys, self-care items, stationery items, jewelry, arts and crafts stuff, sheets, blankets, tools, bits and pieces from your craft making tool collection…!

The garage sale is scheduled for mid to late June at the FCJ Refugee Centre.

For donations please contact us at info@fcjrefugeecentre.org   or call us 416-469- 9754

 

FCJ Refugee centre, in partnership with York University, started the Access to Education program, which created two pathways for precarious status youth to pursue university degrees. As a result,the first group of students was accepted. Metro Morning shared one of the touching stories of the Canadian ‘dreamers’ finding home at York University
Access to Education is the first program of its kind in Canada that allow precarious status students to pursue university degrees while paying domestic fees. Over the course of nine months we created a bridging program to support youth who have been out of school for a little while to transition to university. The program, which consists of a unique and innovative course titled: Critical Approaches to Migration and Uprootedness, is housed in the sociology department. Upon successful completion of the course, students were able to apply directly to undergraduate programs at York. The other pathway involves direct admissions to York University for recent high school graduates. We have been working on the administrative changes needed, which include everything from how to enrol students, create a safe campus environment, provide specialized student supports, etc. The first bridging course was launched exactly one year ago. Ten students have been accepted by York University after the implementation of the Access to Education Program

Holiday season is here and it is giving time

Toronto, Canada, December, 2017 –   As part of the Holiday Season, FCJ Refugee Center has started to sell Christmas trees at Ikea north York location

FCJ Refugee Center is making a call to everyone on this season   to reflect generosity by the work the centre does in making the society a better place for vulnerable populations.

On this giving season, FCJ Refugee Centre calls on everyone to consider making a gift to show your support to refugees and other precarious migrants.

You can support us buying a CHRISTMAS TREE AT IKEA NORTH YORK .Every time that you buy a CHISTMAS TREE at this location, you will be supporting refugees and other vulnerable populations

ADDRESS: 15 Provost Dr, Toronto, ON M2K 2X9

Those who are interested in support FCJ Refugee Centre visit our website and follow us on Facebook, and Twitter.

Take a look at the video after our Christmas tree season last year:

About FCJ Refugee Center

FCJ Refugee Centre serves refugees and others at risk due to their immigration status, and welcomes anyone asking for advice, counsel and support regarding their refugee or immigration claim process. We address systemic issues that newly arrived refugee claimants face in Canada including lack of resources, marginalization, and discrimination.