Crimes Against Humanity and Canadian Press

Associates Michael Davis: Overall, there were fears that Canada contribution to combating crimes against humanity was "diminishing due to capacity and resource issues." A January 2016 presentation of preliminary evaluation findings about the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Program was released to The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. "Resources have not changed since 1998 and are considered inadequate," says the presentation, prepared for the Justice Department by Prairie Research Associates, according to Hamilton Spectator. Michael Davis, a spokesperson for Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, declined to comment on the initial findings, noting the evaluation process is ongoing. The study also uncovered concerns about a trend toward using immigration law to expel war criminals rather than pursuing prosecutions or revoking citizenship. The multi-agency federal program, with an annual budget of about $16 million, tries to keep war criminals out of Canada, prevent those in Canada from obtaining citizenship, revoke the status of people complicit in atrocities and investigate and prosecute suspects when appropriate. However, they found complete annual performance data existed only through 2010-11, making the assessment challenging and highlighting a desire for "more accountability," even among program personnel. The consultants examined data, surveyed staff and interviewed 49 people — including federal employees and representatives of foreign governments, NGOs and academic institutions. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.