Canada marked the fifth annual World Refugee Day on June 20—a day set aside around the globe to “salute to the indomitable spirit and courage of the world’s refugees,” according to the website for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. This year, the theme was “Courage…not just in enduring the dangers and violence of the crises that made [refugees into] refugees, but also in the courage refugees show in rebuilding their lives and contributing to society in difficult or unfamiliar circumstances.”

But does Canada have anything to celebrate?

As one who has been working hands-on with refugees for the past 17 years in Toronto, I have seen a gradual erosion in our refugee protection policies to such an extent that I believe we ought to be sounding alarm bells and wearing sack cloths and ashes instead of celebrating.

In 1939, Canada refused to allow across its borders a boatload of European Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. Denied access to Canada, the boat was forced to return to its port and most of those seeking sanctuary were killed in Nazi concentration camps. If the same thing happened today, would Canadians, Christians included, respond differently? Sadly, the answer seems to be no.

There are current policies and practices in place that not only deny refugees in need of protection the right to seek it in Canada, but also helps to send them back to places of torture or death. While Canada may still boast one of the best refugee protection systems in the world, it is a sad fact that the rise in global xenophobia and terrorist hysteria has made victims of some of the planet’s most vulnerable people. New restrictive border patrol policies in Europe, the West and even the Third World make it much harder for those needing protection to escape persecution and find safety. These measures are put in place in the name of “national security” but they actually do little to stop real terrorists while harmfully impacting many who are legitimate refugees.

Problematic restrictions
In recent years Canada has implemented practices that clearly reflect this xenophobia.

We impose visa restrictions on people from nations where grave human rights abuses take place and where it is often impossible for asylum seekers to access Canadian visa posts. In desperation, many refugees attempt to come to Canada without proper documentation or with the aid of smugglers.

The few refugees who get travel documents still face Canadian “interdiction officers” at airport departure points. These officers have the power to prevent anyone with questionable documents from boarding a plane, and do not have to take that person’s experience of persecution into consideration before deporting them back to their home country where they may face torture and death.

The recently implemented border agreement between the U.S. and Canada has also dramatically reduced the flow of refugees seeking asylum in Canada via the U.S. On average, before the agreement, 12,000 refugees were coming to Canada seeking asylum via the U.S., while only about 200 per year made the reverse journey—despite its flaws, many find the Canadian system preferable to a less humane refugee system in the U.S.

Now, however, the new border agreement denies access to Canada from the U.S. for most asylum seekers. And while the few who manage to get inside Canada and present themselves at inland border points are still eligible to apply for asylum, this creates a dangerous dilemma.

Some refugees are compelled to enter Canada through irregular means, such as swimming across rivers or hiding in the trunks of cars. They face unnecessary risks when, only a few months ago, they could openly present themselves at Canadian border posts. Again some of the most vulnerable and needy are left without the opportunity to safely enter and seek Canada’s protection.

For those fortunate enough to access our asylum system, the ordeal is not yet over. They may fall prey to unsound legal counsel, as there are no federally funded programs to assist refugee claimants upon arrival and they are simply numbered among the homeless. Consequently refugees may fail their hearings for which there is no appeal process. The Canadian government has failed to implement an appeal division that it promised, designed and legislated in the immigration bill passed more than three years ago!

Speak up for the voiceless
God calls us to “speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,” to uncover the evil that is being practiced and defend the rights of the needy and oppressed. In more than 36 passages of the Old Testament, God commands us to give justice to the alien and to “love them as ourselves.”

Will Canadian Christians be that prophetic voice and challenge these unjust practices? We must become informed about the issues, befriend refugees and support those working with them. We must contact our local MPs and hold our government accountable for the way they treat the most vulnerable in our world.

For more information on refugee issues visit the Canadian Council for Refugees website at www.web.ca/~ccr

Anne Woolger is the founder and executive director of Matthew House, a shelter for newly arrived refugee claimants in Toronto. She is also the chair of the newly formed Refugee Ministry Network of the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada.