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It’s a debate that’s been raging for months. What started as a spat between politicians canada goose outlet mall now seems to be a full fledged war of words: are asylum canada goose factory outlet vancouver seekers who enter Canada at unofficial points of entry doing so “illegally” or “irregularly”?
buy canada goose jacket cheap Depending on who you ask, using the word “illegal” to describe border crossers is either a matter of “semantics” or a dangerous use of language, the result of which is to dehumanize and falsely criminalize anyone seeking asylum in Canada who doesn’t cross the border normally. buy canada goose jacket cheap
canada goose clearance As recently as Thursday morning, officials from Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservative government, including Lisa MacLeod, Ontario’s minister responsible for immigration, used the word “illegal” to describe the action of asylum seekers at Canada’s southern border. canada goose clearance
But legal experts and human rights advocates including representatives from the United Nations and Amnesty International have urged Canadian politicians and journalists to think carefully before they speak and to consider the effects language might have, both on asylum seekers and the Canadian population as a whole.”There’s nothing illegal when you come and you cross an international border to claim asylum,” said Jean Nicolas Beuze, a representative from the UN High Commission on Refugees. Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) is “very clear” on that fact, he says.
READ MORE:Conservative party pulls attack ad depicting black man ‘illegally’ crossing canada goose clothing uk border
Beuze also canada goose outlet uk criticized politicians for their use of what he calls “populist rhetoric which seeks to gain [short term] voting support,” adding that it’s “dangerous” for politicians canada goose outlet black friday sale to characterize asylum seekers as having a potentially “bogus claim” before their case has been heard. That’s because under both international and domestic law, asylum seekers are “entitled” to Canada’s protection while their claims are being assessed.
Disagreement over what’s April, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stated unequivocally canada goose outlet in vancouver in the House of Commons that entering Canada at an unofficial point of entry is “illegal.”
“Crossing a border between official border crossings is illegal,” he said.
Canada Goose Online Trudeau’s comments were in response to a flurry of questions from Conservative MPs who’ve repeatedly used the word “illegal” to describe people crossing the border for the purpose of making an asylum claim. Canada Goose Online
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Other public officials, including Canada’s immigration minister, Ahmed Hussen, have also used the word “illegal” to describe border crossings at unofficial points of entry.
canada goose uk shop At a special parliamentary committee held Tuesday to discuss the issue of “irregular” border crossings, NDP immigration critic Jenny Kwan challenged Hussen over his use of this term “illegal,” saying it was irresponsible and not simply a matter of semantics as others, such as MacLeod, have suggested. canada goose uk shop
In his defense, https://www.elcortezlv.com Hussen said his use of the word “illegal” was referring to the physical act of crossing the border outside of a normal point of entry. He said he has always maintained that asylum seekers are themselves not “illegal” when trying to gain refuge in Canada. border.
canada goose coats on sale In fact, these experts say both international and Canadian law grant specific exemptions to asylum seekers, preventing them from being prosecuted for offences related to their efforts to claim refugee protection in Canada. This includes exemptions for using false passports and other documents, making certain false statements and crossing international cheap canada goose borders irregularly. canada goose coats on sale
Canada Goose Parka “I find it difficult to frame this as illegality, given Canada’s obligations to refugees,” said Peter Edelmann, a Vancouver based criminal defense and immigration lawyer. Canada Goose Parka
“I’d like to emphasize that it is not a contravention of IRPA to cross at a place other than a port of entry,” he said.
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Edelmann also points to a section of Canada’s immigration regulations, which says anyone who crosses the border irregularly “must appear without delay for examination at the port of entry canada goose outlet store calgary that is nearest to that place.”
Canada Goose Outlet According to Edelmann, these regulations mean that so long as someone follows the rules about entering Canada for the purpose of canada goose outlet locations in toronto making an asylum claim, which explicitly allow claims to be made at non points of entry, they cannot be considered “illegal.” Nor can the act of crossing the border itself be viewed as illegal.”I think it’s absolutely incumbent upon all of us to stop using the word illegal to refer to individuals who cross canada goose outlet seattle borders to make refugee claims,” he said. Canada Goose Outlet
“It’s a toxic trend that is undermining public support for refugee protection. It is creating an undue sense of alarm and hysteria about refugees and the threats they pose. And is completely groundless in law,” he said.