Almost 200 organizations call on Canada to withdraw Bill C-2

Canadian Friends Service Committee, the national peace and social justice agency of Quakers in Canada, as joined almost 200 organizations in calling for the withdrawal of Bill C-2. Watch a June 18 press conference explaining the problems with Bill C-2.

Withdraw Bill C-2

We, the undersigned 174 organizations, urgently call on the federal government to withdraw Bill C-2. We are deeply concerned that Bill C-2:

• Gives the government broad discretion to cancel, suspend, or change any individual or groups of immigration applications or documents—including for permanent resident visas and cards, work permits, and study permits.
• Allows the deportation of asylum seekers without a hearing for anyone who came to Canada more than a year ago, which is inconsistent with international refugee law.
• Makes it even more difficult for people who cross into Canada from the US to have their asylum claim heard by the Immigration and Refugee Board.
• Allows overly broad sharing of personal information of migrants and citizens with federal, provincial and territorial agencies and with foreign entities.
• Allows police and intelligence agencies easier access to the private information of all people in Canada regardless of immigration status.

Together, these measures give sweeping powers to current and future governments to revoke immigration status without individual evaluation, to limit asylum seekers’ right to a hearing and ability to appeal decisions, to share personal information without adequate safeguards, and expand deportations. Many people already face danger because they can’t access refugee protection due to the Safe Third Country Agreement with the US. Hundreds of thousands of others with temporary status are exposed to exploitation and denied permanent resident status due to Canada’s discriminatory immigration system. Because of recent immigration cuts, 1.2 million people are no longer able to renew their permits and are being forced to leave the country or become undocumented this year.

The broad discretionary powers and limitations proposed in Bill C-2 would put more people’s lives at risk, and allow for human rights abuses like what we are seeing in the United States. We urge you to:

• Withdraw Bill C-2.
• Reject the US-style anti-migrant and anti-refugee agenda.
• Ensure equal rights, fair treatment and non-discriminatory access to permanent resident status for all.
• Stop scapegoating migrants and refugees for the housing and affordability crisis.
• Uphold the Right to Asylum and due process in refugee determination by better resourcing the Immigration and Refugee Board.

There are many additional concerns raised by Bill C-2. Read more and send your own letter via the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group (of which we are founding members).

Download this letter in PDF to see all the signatories.