immigrantscanada.com

Independent topical source of current affairs, opinion and issues, featuring stories making news in Canada from immigrants, newcomers, minorities & ethnic communities' point of view and interests.

Claims Process: Countries and Health Program

claims process: The Conservatives enacted it in 2012 as a way to deter abuse of Canada's refugee system by people who come from countries that do not normally produce refugees and respect human rights and offer state protection, according to CTV. Asylum-seekers from a list of 42 countries deemed safe -- such as the United States and most of Europe-- they were put through an expedited claims process. The policy divided refugee claimants into different categories, depending on where they were from. They were subject to a six-month bar on work permits and had limited access to the federal health program for refugees. The premise was that people from those countries were less likely to be genuine victims of persecution. If their asylum claims were rejected, they could not appeal the decision to the refugee appeal division, as is the case for claimants from countries that aren't on the list. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.