FCJ Refugee Centre

Ontario members of the Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) and CAW – Sam Gindin Chair in Social Justice and Democracy @ Ryerson University invite you to the launch of  Migrant Workers in Ontario (and Canada)

Registration click here
WHERE:     Ryerson Student Centre (Oakham House)
Layton Room (2nd floor)
RYERSON UNIVERSITY
63 Gould Street Toronto
(Yonge and Dundas)

WHEN:       THURSDAY, JULY 18, 2013
10:00 AM-12:00 NOON

Featuring: Loly Rico (President, Canadian Council for Refugees), Catherine Manuel (Caregivers Action Centre), Chris Sorio (Migrante Canada) and representatives from other migrant justice groups.

 

Please RSVP to amy@ocasi.org or epanlaqui@thorncliffe.org

 

The Canadian Council for Refugees (CCR) issued in May 2013 a series of report cards, summarizing the approaches of the provincial and federal governments in protecting the rights of migrant workers in the “low-skilled” streams of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program. Ontario has a lot of work to do particularly in the following areas: (1) extend the Employment Protection for Foreign Nationals Act to all migrant workers; (2) implement a registration system for employers and recruiters to better detect exploitation; (3) proactive enforcement of employment standards; (4) provide pathways to permanent residence for all migrant workers in collaboration with the federal government.

 

 

 

Offering Mental Health Support to Victims/Survivors of Human Trafficking: (The workshops will be available at the FCJ Refugee Centre, or we can come to your organization if there is interest.)
WORKSHOPS
For mental health professionals and support workers.
Join us to engage in an in-depth dialogue about multifaceted mental health support for survivors of human trafficking.
You can book a training at your location or either you can join us any of the following dates:
(Please confirm the day you will be able to attend)

Dates:      June 25, July 10, July 17, and July 23
Time:        From 2:00 to 4:00 pm
Place:      208 Oakwood Ave. ON. M6E 2V4   

WORKSHOP BENEFITS:
√Access to crucial training material
√Access to specialized information on mental health models
√Tools to provide better services to people who have been trafficked

For more information please contact:

Tanya Aberman  tanya.aberman@fcjrefugeecentre.org or Carolina Teves  cteves@fcjrefugeecentre.org
Phone:  416-469 -9754

Offering Mental Health Support to Victims June and July

FCJ Refugee Centre is organizing the Diverse Residents One Community Celebration where many LGBTQ newcomer artists will have the opportunity to express their talents and gain community support.

This event is possible thanks to the support of the Community festivals and Special Events of the City of Toronto, who always is looking to create spaces of non-discrimination and inclusion.All steps of this festival have been developed through an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, feminist framework. Beside the City of Toronto, there are a lot of hands of volunteers from different organizations, such Sherbourne Health Centre, The 519 Community Centre, Black- CAP, and OCASI, who are helping with the promotions and preparation of the festival.

The event is going to take place at the Artscape Wychwood Barns located in 76 Wychwood Ave, Toronto, ON M6G 4C6 (Wychwood Ave and 601 Christie St.), from 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm.

The performers of the day will put on shows such as live dance performances, singing and modelling shows. Also, with the presence of food and Art Vendors from different cultures and backgrounds is going to be a variety of food and artistic products displayed from almost all parts of the world, Spanish, Mexican, Turkish, Asian, North and South American, African and more which will suit out goal of diverse community celebration.

The coordinators of the event expect “that people who have just arrived and self-identify as members of LGBTQ communities will be able to connect with a wide arena of support – meet other people going through the same experience, and connect with community agencies that work with LGBTQ populations.”

One of the motivations on the creation of this festival is because despite the progress Canada has made in including and promoting equality for LGBTQ populations, there are multiple oppressive and homophobic systems still at play that are negatively impacting these populations.

For FCJ Refugee Centre events like this are becoming more important to offset the vast disparity that still exists, and work towards a Canada that we can be proud of – a Canada that recognizes the barriers that LGBTQ refugees face and actively welcomes communities from around the world.

For more information:
Contact: Destin Bujang
416-469-9754 ext 223
destin.bujang@fcjrefugeecentre.org
or visit our website: http://www.diversecommunity.tk/

“Access to information means access to justice; access to knowledge and the tools necessary to mobilize that knowledge and lead to integration”.

With this affirmation the co-directors of FCJ Refugee Centre received the Pioneers for Change Award in Literacy and Access to information 2013.

 During the ceremony they highlighted that access to information means access to justice; access to knowledge and the tools necessary to mobilize that knowledge and lead to integration; in only one kind of integration and is called successful integration. It means access to equity; access to civil society, wherever is defined by them; access to social services and diverse arenas of support; access to fair and sustainable housing; access to healthcare. And despite the progress that has been made in the past, avenues to access have become increasingly narrowed, particularly with the disturbing changes that have taken place over the past year.

Also they mentioned that the access to Information for the diverse populations needs to be underlined with ideas of self-determination and self-identification. Pathways to access need to be paved with anti-oppression and Positive Spaces. “ Information needs to be readily available for members of diverse communities-whether someone identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered or straight, information and dissemination of information needs to reflect the multiple needs and intricate fabric of our identities” said Loly Rico during her participation at the ceremony.

Francisco Rico mentioned that as the doors close, and our society seems to be moving in retrograde, precarity increases for many newcomers. At the FCJ Refugee Centre we have always served anyone seeking assistance, regardless of their immigration status. And with recent changes, such as the addition of designated countries of origin (called by the media “safe” countries… is Mexico safe?), new gradations of status are emerging, and putting people at greater risk. And as the number of precarious migrants is steadily on the rise- we are talking about non-status people… What they called “illegals”), we need to be steadfast in our response.

They finished their participation thanking for this recognition: “we feel that this award is a symbol of the work we’re doing, and support to continue our walk with uprooted people. At moments like this, the words of Antonio Machado come to mind… “Traveller, there is no road; the road is made by walking.” Thank you for helping us make this road.”

 

Toronto .- DESDE LOS QUE NO SOMOS DE AQUÍ… PARA LOS QUE YA NO SOMOS DE ALLÁ

 Por Francisco Rico-Martínez (Published 09 de mayo de 2013 )

 Se están cerrando las puertas para los migrantes irregulares o en condición de precariedad

TORONTO. Para muestra un botón. Hay más de 20,000 casos de solicitudes por razones humanitarias ante Migración Canadá en este momento. Por si eso fuera poco, Migración Canadá dice que el tiempo de procesamiento estimado de estas solicitudes es entre 30 a 42 meses. 

Las preguntas son: ¿Cuántos de estos casos son peticiones de refugio fallidas? ¿Cuántas de estas aplicaciones son de migrantes que simplemente decidieron hacer su solicitud después de quedarse sin status? ¿Cuántos de estos han entrado al país sin ser detectados y han decidido hacer la solicitud para quedarse permanentemente en Canadá? ¿Cuántos tienen muchos años de estar establecidos en Canadá y al final deciden jugar suerte con Migración?

Con la forma en que Migración lleva las estadísticas, no es posible responder las preguntas anteriores. Todas las solicitudes entran el hoyo negro de Migración y salen, aceptados o denegados, cuando salen.

El proceso y los criterios de las solicitudes por razones humanitarias fueron cambiados a finales de junio de 20212 con la aprobación de la “Ley de Protección al Sistema Migratorio Canadiense”.  Este cambio creó una avalancha de solicitudes de este tipo que incrementaron el inventario ya existente ante Migración Canadá y por ende, aumentó el tiempo de procesamiento.

Los cambios implementados en esta época fueron muy restrictivos y prohibitivos para los peticionarios de refugio.

Los cambios son los siguientes: primero, mientras una persona tenga un caso pendiente de refugio, no se puede introducir una solicitud por razones humanitarias. Después del 29 de junio del 2012, si un solicitan de refugio quiere presentan una solitud humanitaria, tiene que retirar el caso de refugio. Dicho de otra manera, no puede haber una solicitud refugio que sea paralela a una solicitud por razones humanitarias.

El Segundo cambio se refiere a la imposibilidad de presentar una solicitud ante Migración Canadá por razones humanitaria mientras no hayan pasado 12 meses de haber recibido la decisión negativa emitida por el Consejo de Migración y Refugio sobre dicho caso de refugio.  Esto genera un efecto no deseado puesto que la ley no especifica que la espera de estos 12 meses tiene que ser gozando de un status legal en el país.

Ante el cierre de esta opción procesal, los migrantes en condiciones de precariedad que no tienen ningún futuro en sus países de origen, simplemente tratan de no ser detectados hasta que logran tener el tiempo para presentar la solicitud de razones humanitarias.

Hay dos excepciones para poder presentar una solicitud por razones humanitarias antes de tener los 12 meses antes explicados: La primera es el mejor interés del niño, y la segunda es si hay algún riesgo a la vida por la remoción del país debido a una condición médica.

En una forma sarcástica, se cree que estas dos excepciones sólo pueden ser usadas en condiciones casi perfectas. Por ejemplo, con respecto al mejor interés del niño, el menor no puede ser ni tan menor que no se dé cuenta de lo que está pasando, o tan mayor que pueda continuar sus estudios o vida en el país de origen sin ningún problema.  La misma lógica aplica para la condición médica: ni tan grave que sea muy caro el tratamiento, o que sea poco seria que no pueda ser tomada en serio por los agentes migratorios. Si es una condición mental, ni siquiera es entendida por los oficiales a cargo del caso.   

Para cerrar el círculo, incremento en recursos para la salida voluntaria, y si no se quiere ir, incremento en recursos para remoción violenta de los migrantes en condición de precariedad. Sí, la Agencia Canadiense de Servicios Fronterizos ofrece el pago de pasajes y hasta $2,000 Cdn en servicios por cada persona que acepte salir voluntariamente. Por si no le gusta el programa voluntario antes mencionado, se han incrementado los oficiales de remoción que localizan, capturan y remueven a los migrantes sin status.

En otras palabras, es un ataque frontal contra los migrantes que necesitan pedir refugio para legalizarse en Canadá. Ataque a todos aquellos que no son considerados “la crema de la crema”, o que no vienen de países considerados “desarrollados”. Es un ataque a los tristes más tristes del mundo, mis compatriotas en pobreza, mis hermanos y hermanas que son pobres y vienen de continentes pobres.  Dígale a todo el mundo…