COMMUNITY
ORGANIZATIONS CONCERNED WITH IMMIGRANT, REFUGEE AND RACIALIZED COMMUNITIES
OPEN LETTER TO JEAN CHRETIEN, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA
November
7, 2002
The
Hon. Jean Chretien
Prime
Minister
Langevin
Block
80
Wellington Street
Ottawa,
Ontario
K1A
0A2
Dear
Prime Minister Chretien,
The
new US proposal to require visas from Canadian landed immigrants who are
citizens of commonwealth countries other than Great Britain, Australia,
New Zealand, Singapore and Brunei is problematic for thousands of
Canadians and threatens a Canadian society that is built on
multiculturalism and the values of inclusion and respect.
Canada has a long admired international reputation of welcoming
immigrants from all over the world, accepting them with respect and
treating them with fairness. By
permitting practices that target Canadian communities for special security
treatment we, as a country, are contributing to two-tier permanent
residency based on race, ethnicity and faith.
Individuals
who immigrate to Canada make a commitment to this country, and often
demonstrate it three years later when applying for and obtaining Canadian
Citizenship. Individuals who are recognized as refugees under the Geneva
Convention are, as a class, defined as persons in need of protection who
can go on to become landed immigrants in Canada.
They are all Canadian residents who must be protected by our
government.
When Canadian citizens and permanent residents cannot be protected by the Canadian government, we must recognize that the US is not a safe country for refugee claimants. We therefore ask that your government abandon plans to conclude a "safe third country" agreement that would force refugee claimants seeking our protection back into the US.
Dismissing the legitimate travel concerns of landed immigrants does great harm to a Canadian society that values inclusion, respect and fairness. We call on you to apologize in the House of Commons for a remark that diminishes all Canadians.
We
are also alarmed that, despite your assurance to the contrary, Canadian
citizens travelling on a Canadian passport but born elsewhere have been
harassed at the Canada-US border and even at US pre-clearance areas on
Canadian soil. To permit the
US authorities to treat Canadian Arabs, Muslims and members of racialized
communities as a separate class of citizens is to send a very disturbing
message about Canadian values of tolerance and respect, and about
Canada’s sovereignty.
Canada
must protect its residents who travel overseas, and implement a process
that will eliminate at least some risks for Canadians who were born
outside Canada.
To
fulfill your obligation to protect all Canadians, we call on you and the
government to:
·
Apologize
in the House of Commons for your remark that landed immigrants rights,
when travelling overseas are not a concern for Canada;
·
Eliminate
Country of Birth category in the Canadian passport to ensure that
Canadians are not harassed at international borders because of racial
profiling;
·
Abandon
plans to conclude a "safe third country" agreement that would
force refugee claimants seeking our protection, back into the US;
·
Take
a clear stand against the creation of two-tier residency through racial
profiling and speak out strongly against the treatment of members of
racialized communities as a separate class.
Canada’s
much-valued record on human rights requires that you take an independent
stand and protect Canadian sovereignty by protecting the rights of all
Canadians when they travel.
African
Canadian Legal Clinic
Canadian
Arab Federation
Canadian
Council for Refugees
Chinese
Canadian National Council
Council
of Agencies Serving South Asians
Jamaican
Canadian Association
National
Anti-Racism Council Canada
Ontario
Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants