LEAF logo
LEAF logo
DONATE
MENU
LEAF logo

Contact

DONATE
Informations en français
  • English
  • Français
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Mission & Vision
    • Staff
    • Board
    • Law Program Committee
    • FAQs
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Student Positions
  • Cases and Law Reform
    • Our Work
    • Issue Areas
      • Reproductive Justice
      • Indigenous Rights and Law
      • Identity-Based Oppression
      • Hate Speech and Online Hate
      • Sexual Assault and Consent Law
      • Gender-Based Violence
      • Access to Justice
      • Workplace Rights
      • Socio-Economic Rights
      • Family Law
    • Search Cases & Submissions
    • Current Work
      • Basic Income Project
      • LEAF’s Feminist Strategic Litigation Project
      • LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project
      • National Abortion Access Framework
      • Reproductive Justice Project
    • Past Projects
    • Legal Resources
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Workshops, trainings & webinars
    • Factsheets & infographics
  • News & Events
    • Search News & Events
    • Events
  • Publications
    • Search Publications
    • Working Papers
    • Reports
    • Annual Reports
  • Regional Branches
    • Overview
    • LEAF Edmonton
    • LEAF Halifax
    • LEAF Hamilton
    • LEAF Kingston
    • LEAF Ottawa
    • LEAF Québec
    • LEAF Thunder Bay
    • LEAF Toronto
    • LEAF Windsor
  • Get Involved
    • Ways to Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Join a Branch
    • Volunteer
    • Become a LEAF Pro Bono Lawyer
    • Partner with LEAF
Menu
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Mission & Vision
    • Staff
    • Board
    • Law Program Committee
    • FAQs
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Student Positions
  • Cases and Law Reform
    • Our Work
    • Issue Areas
      • Reproductive Justice
      • Indigenous Rights and Law
      • Identity-Based Oppression
      • Hate Speech and Online Hate
      • Sexual Assault and Consent Law
      • Gender-Based Violence
      • Access to Justice
      • Workplace Rights
      • Socio-Economic Rights
      • Family Law
    • Search Cases & Submissions
    • Current Work
      • Basic Income Project
      • LEAF’s Feminist Strategic Litigation Project
      • LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project
      • National Abortion Access Framework
      • Reproductive Justice Project
    • Past Projects
    • Legal Resources
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Workshops, trainings & webinars
    • Factsheets & infographics
  • News & Events
    • Search News & Events
    • Events
  • Publications
    • Search Publications
    • Working Papers
    • Reports
    • Annual Reports
  • Regional Branches
    • Overview
    • LEAF Edmonton
    • LEAF Halifax
    • LEAF Hamilton
    • LEAF Kingston
    • LEAF Ottawa
    • LEAF Québec
    • LEAF Thunder Bay
    • LEAF Toronto
    • LEAF Windsor
  • Get Involved
    • Ways to Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Join a Branch
    • Volunteer
    • Become a LEAF Pro Bono Lawyer
    • Partner with LEAF
Home / News & Events / Search News & Events

Media Release

Bill C-31 will re-victimize women refugees and their children

May 10, 2012, Toronto – Bill C-31, the Protecting Canada’s Immigration System Act, will result in the arbitrary detention, intimidation, failure to protect, and ultimate re-victimization of highly vulnerable people who seek asylum in Canada, especially the most vulnerable among them, women and children.

If the changes proposed under Bill C-31 are passed into law, a significant number of women will never have their own risk of persecution or hardship assessed, prior to being deported from Canada.

The Barbra Schlifer Clinic, METRAC, and LEAF, three organizations dedicated to women’s equality and to ending violence against women, presented their concerns about the Bill in a written Submission to the Commons Committee on Bill C-31, which concluded hearings this week.

Among other concerns, they say that designating certain countries as ‘safe’, will result in women being deported back to violent situations. “These provisions fail to recognize that women may experience systemic discrimination and unchecked gender-based violence in countries that are otherwise considered safe,” says Barbra Schlifer Clinic Executive Director, Amanda Dale. “We regularly work with women who have been abused, without state protection, in the home countries they fled, such places as Portugal, St. Vincent and Mexico, to name but a few. Under Bill C-31, they would likely be forced to return to that violence.”

The Bill will also likely lead to deportation of abused refugee women, before their circumstances are fully considered. “It’s a clear reversal of Canada’s previous leadership on helping women who face ‘gender persecution’ around the world. If the Bill becomes law, if a woman’s refugee claim is tied to her abusive partner, she may not have been able to explain her full story. If she leaves him, she will not have the opportunity to re-open the file and have her personal case considered,” says Dale.

Refugees over the age of 15 who arrive in Canada in an “irregular” manner, defined under the Bill, will face immediate imprisonment. The government recently reduced the initial period of detention from twelve to a possible six months, with very limited opportunity for review. But the potential hardship to abused women and children is still unconscionable. “The effect of such a measure on women fleeing violence, rape, incest and torture is potentially devastating, an additional trauma from a country which prides itself on humanitarianism,” says Tamar Witelson, METRAC’s Legal Director. Separation of young children from their imprisoned families could cause significant, lasting traumatic effects.

Joanna Birenbaum, LEAF’s Director of Litigation, says, “in addition to conflicting with International covenants, the Bill appears to breach the equality and life, liberty and security of the person rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

Birenbaum further notes that “our concerns about this Bill may be starting to get through. Bill C-31 should be further amended to address the other serious concerns raised in our Submission. We encourage the government to consult with agencies who work with refugees and for women’s equality and safety from violence, to ensure its legislation and policies recognize and protect the safety of women and children.”

The Barbra Schlifer Clinic, METRAC and LEAF Submission can be downloaded here:

2012-04-24 Submission Bill C-31 English 

2012-04-24 Submission Bill C-31 French 

For further information contact:

Amanda Dale
Executive Director, Barbra Schlifer Clinic
Office: (416) 453-1916

Tamar Witelson
Legal Director, METRAC
Office: (416) 587-1895

Joanna Birenbaum
Director of Litigation, LEAF
(647) 500-3005

Let's Change The Law to Uphold Gender Equality
Donate
Join Us!

Related Project

Loading...
Current Work
LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project

Related Cases

Loading...

Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform v. Canada (Attorney General)

This case is about the constitutionality of Criminal Code sex work provisions.

R. v. Brown

This case concerned using extreme intoxication as a defence to assault and sexual assault.
More Cases

Related Issue Area

Loading...

Gender-Based Violence

LEAF_FAEJ_hz_names_colour_rgb_rev
Donate to support equality

National Office
180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1420
Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
[email protected]
Phone: 416.595.7170
Toll-free: 1.888.824.5323
Facsimile: 416.595.7191

Stay up to date on feminist law and LEAF’s work to advance gender equality



LEAF_FAEJ_hz_names_colour_rgb_rev

National Office
180 Dundas Street West, Suite 1420
Toronto, ON M5G 1Z8
[email protected]
Phone: 416.595.7170
Toll-free: 1.888.824.5323
Facsimile: 416.595.7191

Charitable Registration Number: 10821 9916 RR0001

Facebook-f Twitter Instagram

Stay up to date on feminist law and LEAF’s work to advance gender equality



Donate to support equality

© 2020 Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund (LEAF). All rights reserved. | Legal & Privacy | Accessibility | Website by Affinity Bridge

MENU

  • About
    • Our Story
    • Mission & Vision
    • Staff
    • Board
    • Law Program Committee
    • FAQs
    • Employment Opportunities
    • Student Positions
  • Cases and Law Reform
    • Our Work
    • Issue Areas
      • Reproductive Justice
      • Indigenous Rights and Law
      • Identity-Based Oppression
      • Hate Speech and Online Hate
      • Sexual Assault and Consent Law
      • Gender-Based Violence
      • Access to Justice
      • Workplace Rights
      • Socio-Economic Rights
      • Family Law
    • Search Cases & Submissions
    • Current Work
      • Basic Income Project
      • LEAF’s Feminist Strategic Litigation Project
      • LEAF’s Technology-Facilitated Violence (TFV) Project
      • National Abortion Access Framework
      • Reproductive Justice Project
    • Past Projects
    • Legal Resources
  • Education
    • Overview
    • Workshops, trainings & webinars
    • Factsheets & infographics
  • News & Events
    • Search News & Events
    • Events
  • Publications
    • Search Publications
    • Working Papers
    • Reports
    • Annual Reports
  • Regional Branches
    • Overview
    • LEAF Edmonton
    • LEAF Halifax
    • LEAF Hamilton
    • LEAF Kingston
    • LEAF Ottawa
    • LEAF Québec
    • LEAF Thunder Bay
    • LEAF Toronto
    • LEAF Windsor
  • Get Involved
    • Ways to Get Involved
    • Donate
    • Join a Branch
    • Volunteer
    • Become a LEAF Pro Bono Lawyer
    • Partner with LEAF
  • English
  • Français