The Canadian Government has passed Bill C-41 to amend the Criminal Code and make it easier for Canadian organizations to provide humanitarian aid in areas controlled by terrorist groups, including Afghanistan.
The legislation provides an exception for the delivery of assistance by impartial humanitarian organizations operating under international law.
Those who receive authorization can carry out activities like health services, education, and resettlement of refugees without risk of criminal liability.
These changes uphold Canada's commitment to Afghanistan and obligations to combat terrorism in accordance with United Nations Security Council Resolution 2615.
#Afghanistan, #Bill_C41, #humanitarian_aid, #UN
On July 25, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) updated the data on immigration inventories and backlogs.
According to the last update, there were 2,264,000 applications for permanent residence, temporary residence, and citizenship approvals in all IRCC inventories.
According to the update, 35.3% of applications in the inventory exceeded service standards. IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within their service standard, though some complex cases may require a comprehensive assessment. Currently, 32% of temporary residence requests - including ones for visiting, studying, or working abroad and 47% of permanent residency applications are in backlog.
On the other hand, 76% of citizenship applications are exceeding service standards.
#IRCC, #immigration_backlog, #service_standards, #application_processing_times, #backlog
On July 26, 2023, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made significant changes to his cabinet.
Marc Miller, a Member of Parliament from Quebec and former Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, is now Canada's Immigration Minister.
Sean Fraser, the previous Immigration Minister, is now Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities.
Cabinet shuffles are common in Canadian politics, occurring every two years to replace poor-performing ministers, reward good work, and refresh policies and public communications.
The last shuffle occurred in October 2021, after the federal election, when Fraser was appointed as the previous Immigration Minister and head of the Department of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
#IRCC, #Marc_Miller, #Fraser, #Trudeau, #Cabinet_shuffle
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/marc-miller-shuffled-cirnac-1.6918395
https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2023/07/26/prime-minister-announces-changes-ministry
On July 25, 2023, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced expanding the global human rights defenders stream, increasing the number of resettlement spaces for human rights defenders and their families from 250 to 500.
This initiative reflects Canada's dedication to providing a safe haven for those who risk their lives for fundamental freedoms and its proud tradition of responding to the needs of vulnerable people.
Canada clearly states its commitment to supporting and protecting human rights defenders facing persecution by expanding the global refugee stream.
As part of this commitment, Canadian civil society organizations will work together in the coming months to develop a temporary protection pathway for human rights defenders in need.
#IRCC, #Human_Rights_Defenders, #resettlement, #refugees