For a Canada as welcoming as we are

Canadian federal party leaders must uphold the rights of refugees and migrants during the 2025 federal election campaigns

The Canadian Council for Refugees, Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers, and Amnesty International Canada, together with more than 200 organizations, issued an open letter calling on federal leaders to commit to messaging and platform policies that honour refugees and newcomers.

“At a time when our sovereignty is under threat, and people in Canada are mobilizing from coast to coast to coast to stand up against the attacks on our country, refugees and immigrants are already part of this collective response.” – said Diana Gallego, President of the Canadian Council for Refugees. “We expect our political leaders to embrace and recognize them as such, and uphold our core identity as a welcoming country.”

“Canadians take pride in our commitment to welcoming refugees and migrants and upholding our obligations to promote and defend human rights,” said Aisling Bondy, President of the Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers. “We urge all parties to ensure that this broad consensus is reflected in their platforms and rhetoric.”

“Party leaders must reaffirm their commitment to humanity and human rights in this election,” said Ketty Nivyabandi, Secretary General of Amnesty International Canadian Section, English speaking. “Refugees and migrants must be included in this commitment, not scapegoated for previous governments’ failures.”

Open Letter to Party Leaders

Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada
Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada
Yves-François Blanchet, Leader of the Bloc Québécois
Jagmeet Singh, Leader of the New Democratic Party of Canada
Elizabeth May and Jonathan Pedneault, Co-Leaders of the Green Party of Canada

Dear Party Leaders,

Elections are a perilous time for marginalized groups. At a time of significant national political and economic insecurity and amidst a cost-of-living crisis that affects us all, refugees and migrants have been frequent targets. As the federal election approaches, we are writing to seek your commitment to reject this scapegoating, and defend and strengthen one of Canada’s best traditions: protecting refugees and welcoming newcomers.

Political leaders play a critical role in upholding the rights of immigrants and refugees. This responsibility is particularly important today, when we see the rise around the world of xenophobic fear-mongering about people who move in search of a better life for their families. Canada is not immune to these narratives.

But while people may differ on policies, there still remains a broad consensus that Canada is strengthened by immigration, respect for human rights and being open to the world. Going into the federal election, we know this precious consensus is under attack, and you have both the opportunity and the obligation to remind Canadians why it is important to preserve it. We therefore ask you to embrace both language and policies that honour newcomers and their contributions to our country, and ensure they continue to feel safe and welcome in our communities.

We urge you to ensure that, throughout the election campaign, your party’s platform and messaging about refugees and immigrants champion:

• The rule of law, including upholding the right to asylum and the fundamental protections guaranteed to all by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
• Our shared humanity and the need to treat all newcomers with the dignity and welcome we all deserve.
  The principle that refugees and immigrants strengthen our communities and not just our economy.
  The belief that Canada finds opportunity through diversity.
  The responsibility of political leaders to speak up for those marginalized in our society.

At a time when our sovereignty is under threat, when Canadians are challenged to rally behind what makes us distinct and binds us together as a nation, we ask you to defend our core values as a welcoming country. As people in Canada mobilize from coast to coast to coast to stand up against attacks on our country, refugees and immigrants are already part of this collective response and must be embraced and recognized as such.

In communities across Canada, people show up for other people. We welcome newcomers as neighbours, as colleagues, as friends. We urge you to run an election campaign that reflects this, and to commit to building an immigration system, indeed a country, as welcoming as our people are.

Canadian Council for Refugees (for its 222 members)
Amnesty International Canada
Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers

List of additional signatories

Canadian Council for Refugees
Amnesty International Canada
Canadian Association of Refugee Lawyers
Accueil-Parrainage Outaouais
Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights
Action Committee against Internal and International Human Trafficking (CATHII)
Action Réfugiés Montréal
Affiliation of Multicultural Societies and Service Agencies of BC (AMSSA)
Afghan Women’s Organization Refugee and Immigrant Services
AGIR: Action Lesbienne, Gai, Bisexuelle, Trans et Queer (LGBTQ) avec les immigrants et réfugiés
Albanian Canadian Association Kosova
Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies
Alongside Hope
Amnistie internationale Canada francophone
Angela Rose and Oak House
Anglican United Refugee Alliance (AURA)
Association des lesbiennes et des gais sur Internet (ALGI)
Association for the Rights of Household and Farm Workers (DTMF)
Association québécoise des avocats et avocates en droit de l’immigration (AQAADI)
Atlantic Region Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (ARAISA)
Au bas de l’échelle (ABE)
Bangladeshi-Canadian Community Services (BCS)
Bienvenue à Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
Black Africanness RCIC
Bridges Not Borders — Créons des Ponts
Bridging Divides Research Program (Toronto Metropolitan University)
CALACS de L’ouest-de-l’île
Campagne québécoise pour la régularisation et la justice migrante
Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty
Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration Program (Toronto Metropolitan University)
Canada-US Border Rights Clinic
Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE)
Canadian Association of University Teachers
Canadian Centre for Language and Cultural Studies, Inc (CCLCS)
Canadian Centre for Victims of Torture (CCVT)
Canadian Drug Policy Coalition
Canadian Friends Service Committee
Canadian Labour Congress
Canadian Refugee Health Network
Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW)
Canadian Union of Postal Workers Local 566 – London
Canadian Union of Public Employees
Canadian Union of Public Employees Manitoba (CUPE Manitoba)
Capital Rainbow Refuge
Carrefour d’Action Interculturelle (CAI)
Carrefour d’aide aux Nouveaux arrivants (CANA)
Carrefour de ressources en interculturel (CRIC)
Carrefour d’éducation à la solidarité internationale – Québec (CÉSIQ)
Carrefour le Moutier
Carty House
CÉDA
Centre communautaire (CEFEDI)
Centre Communautaires des femmes sud asiatiques (CCFSA)
Centre d’Orientation et de Formation pour Favoriser les Relations Ethniques Traditionnelles (Le COFFRET)
Centre de Lecture, d’écriture et de Formations Mitis-Neigette (CLEF Mitis-Neigette)
Centre des femmes de Verdun
Centre d’orientation paralegale et sociale pour immigrants (COPSI)
Centre for Refugee Children
Centre for Refugee Studies (York University)
Centre for Spanish Speaking People (CSSP)
Centre social d’aide aux immigrants (CSAI)
Christian Reformed Centre for Public Dialogue
Christie Refugee Welcome Centre
Citizens for Public Justice
Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat Canada
Comité logement Bas-Saint-Laurent
Community Family Services of Ontario
Community Legal Services of Ottawa
COMPASS Refugee Centre
Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN)
Congregation of Notre-Dame of Montreal
Congress of Democratic Trade Unions
Conseil central du Bas-Saint-Laurent (CCBSL–CSN)
Cooper Institute
COSTI Immigrant Services
CRESO Centre-conseil en emploi
CUIAS Immigrant Services
Diocese of Hamilton
Doctors of the World Canada
Entre Parents de Montréal-Nord
Exchange Language Services Inc.
Jewish Family Services of Ottawa
FCJ Refugee Centre
Fédération nationale des enseignantes et des enseignants du Québec (FNEEQ-CSN)
Foyer du Monde
Francophonie Albertaine Plurielle (FRAP)
FrancoQueer
Greenpeace Canada
Halifax Refugee Clinic
HANA Bellechasse (Résidence d’accueil Bellechasse Sud)
Healthy Muslim Families
Horizon Ottawa
Illusion Emploi de l’Estrie
Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization of Manitoba
Immigrant and Refugee Support Center
Immigrant Services Society of BC (ISSofBC)
Immigrant Workers Centre (IWC)
Immigrants Working Centre (IWC)
Immigration Clinic, Detroit Mercy Law
Income Security Advocacy Centre (ISAC)
INICI (Immigrate, Integrate, Innovate)
Inter Pares
International Association for Refugees Canada (IAFR Canada)
International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group
Iraqi Federation of Refugees
Islamic Relief Canada
IslamicFamily
Jesuit Refugee Service Canada
Jumpstart Refugee Talent
Kinbrace Community Society
Kitchener-Waterloo Multicultural Centre
Le Pont – A.P.P.I.
Le Tremplin, Centre pour personnes immigrantes et leurs familles
Legal Assistance of Windsor
Lehal Law Corporation (Delta)
Ligue des droits et libertés
Lush Cosmetics
Madhu Verma Migrant Justice Centre
Maison Alice Desmarais
Manitoba Association of Newcomer Serving Organizations
Mary Ward Centre Canada
Matthew House Refugee Services Toronto
Matthew House Refugee Welcome Centre of Windsor
Mennonite Central Committee Canada
Mennonite Central Committee Ontario
Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto (MCC Toronto)
Micah House Refugee Reception Services Inc.
Migrant Justice Clinic
Migrant Rights Network
Migrant Workers Centre BC
Migrante Alberta
Migrante Canada
Montreal City Mission Just Solutions Legal Clinic
Montréal LGBTQ+ Community Centre
MOSAIC – Multi-lingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities
Mothers Matter Canada
Multi-Agency Partnership of BC (MAP)
National Council of Canadian Muslims (NCCM)
National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE)
Neighbourhood Legal Services
New Canadians Centre Peterborough
New Hope Community Services Society
New Map Immigration Services Inc.
Newcomer Center of Peel (NCP)
Newcomer Legal Clinic (Thunder Bay, Ontario)
North West College
Oasis Centre des femmes
OCASI-Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants
Oeuvres Marie-Anne-Lavallée
Office for Systemic Justice, Federation of Sisters of St. Joseph of Canada
Ontario Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty
Ottawa Food Bank
Oxfam Canada
Oxfam-Québec
Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund
Progress Toronto
Promotion of Sustainable Development in Donga Mantung Association
Quaker Committee for Refugees of Toronto Monthly Meeting, the Religious Society of Friends
Rainbow Railroad
Rainbow Refugee Society
RCEC Diocese of London Refugee Ministries Windsor
Refugee 613
Refugee Family Reunification
Refugee Health YYC
Regional Connections Immigrant Services
Regroupement des Organismes du Montréal Ethnique pour le logement (ROMEL)
Regroupement des organismes pour l’hébergement de personnes migrantes
Réseau d’aide aux travailleuses et travailleurs migrants agricoles du Québec (RATTMAQ)
Rights For All LGBTIQ+ Refugees In Canada Now Society (RARICAnow! Society)
Roman Catholic Diocese of Calgary
Romero House
Samaritan House Ottawa
Saskatchewan Association of Immigrant Settlement and Integration Agencies (SAISIA)
Saskatoon Open Door Society Inc.
Silent Voice Canada
SINGA Québec : innovation social et enrichissement culturel avec les réfugiés
Skills For Change
Social Planning Toronto
Sojourn House
Solidarité ethnique régionale de la Yamaska
Somali HelpAge Association
Somerset West Community Health Centre
South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO)
South Asian Women’s Collective (SAWC)
South Asian Women’s Rights Organization
Table de concertation des organismes au service des personnes réfugiées et immigrantes
Table des groupes de femmes de Montréal
The Refugee Centre
The United Church of Canada
The Windsor Women Working With Immigrant Women
UFCW National
Umbrella Multicultural Health Co-op
Vancity
Vancouver Association for Survivors of Torture (VAST)
VAST
Waterloo Region Community Legal Services (WRCLS)
Welcome Collective
West Kootenay Friends of Refugees
Working Skills Centre
World Renew
World Skills Employment Centre
YMCA NCR
YWCA Toronto

Download this open letter in PDF.