About 15 per cent of guests at Canadian AIDS conference claimed asylum | Globalnews.ca

Almost One-Sixth of AIDS Conference Guests Claimed Asylum in Canada

OTTAWA — Almost one-sixth of guests at a major AIDS conference in Montreal last year who received Canadian visas ended up claiming asylum, according to internal data obtained by The Canadian Press.

Struggles with Visa Applications and Asylum Claims

The documents also show Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada struggled to work with the International AIDS Society as both tried to avoid a mass refusal of visas.

When the society’s conference got underway last July in Montreal, dozens of delegates from Africa had been denied visas or never received responses to their applications. Some accused Ottawa of racism on stage, saying international gatherings should not return to Canada.

The controversy followed similar incidents at other global summits hosted in Canada in recent years, for which some African delegates could not obtain visas despite receiving invitations on Canadian government letterhead.

Visa Rejection and Asylum Claims Statistics

1. Documents obtained through access-to-information laws show that 1,020 or 36 per cent of visa applications for last summer’s AIDS conference were rejected.
2. Another 10 per cent were not processed by the end of the event.
3. Canada issued 1,638 visas for the conference, and the documents show that at least 251 people, or about 15 per cent, claimed asylum after entering Canada.

Reasons for Asylum Claims

Robert Blanshay, a Toronto immigration lawyer, said making an asylum claim by attending a conference or sporting event in Canada is often one of the few ways people can get to safety.

“I’m not surprised at all that the percentage of people from a certain country (who were) issued visitor visas to come would actually not return home and claim refugee status,” he said, adding that the idea sometimes only occurs to people after they reach Canada and hear about others doing so.

“Good for them. If this is their only way of claiming asylum in a country, then so be it.”

Blanshay said Canada already makes it difficult to get a visa for legitimate purposes, and to claim asylum.

Visa Application Rejection Statistics

• Ottawa rejected 83.5 per cent of visa applications by prospective conference attendees from Nepal.
• 55.8 per cent of those from Nigeria were rejected.
• 53.6 per cent from Pakistan were rejected.
• More than 40 per cent from Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, and Ghana were rejected.

Improvements Needed in Visa Application Process

An internal report last November that assessed the Immigration Department’s handling of the conference suggested “the need to have better coordination of high-profile events, ensuring that partners are engaged early on and that they remain in constant, continued and detailed communication.”

The report said there were some shortfalls within the department, such as a system glitch that made it difficult for some applicants to include an event code used to organize event attendees in a database.

But it largely put the blame on the Geneva-based conference organizers. The International AIDS Society did not respond to questions before a deadline.

Six weeks ahead of the conference, the document said, organizers provided a list of 6,609 participants but did not include information that was important for identifying their visa applications, including birth dates and application numbers. About two weeks later, the department asked for a list of priority VIPs, and organizers provided 4,200 names. Eventually, the department got the number down to 150 priority attendees.

Recommendations for Future Events

The report said working groups and clear roles should be created for “upcoming high-profile events” involving multiple federal agencies. In this case, that would have ensured the Immigration Department, Global Affairs Canada and the Public Health Agency of Canada would deliver “the same, unified message to organizers, civil-society members and partner agencies.”

In a statement, the Immigration Department said it had sought information in advance about an AIDS conference hosted by Australia in 2014, including how many asylum claims resulted from the event.

It said it is still monitoring the outcomes of the 251 people who claimed asylum after arriving in Canada for the conference last year.

Among them were 123 people from Uganda, which has some of the world’s most repressive criminal laws against homosexuality. People living in Kenya made 58 claims, while 26 came from people originating from Nigeria.

Complaints also stemmed from visa issues around last December’s COP15 United Nations Biodiversity Conference.

Hundreds of delegates from developing countries complained that they were unable to attend, with visa applications rejected or stalled at a handful of Canadian missions abroad.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said at the time that he had asked visa officers to waive normal criteria such as the likelihood of applicants returning home or requirements about being able to support themselves while in Canada, because many delegates were being hosted by groups who covered their expenses.

Internal data show 751 of 4,167 visa applications, or 18 per cent, were not processed on time for the conference. Of those that were processed, 77 per cent were approved and 2.9 per cent were refused.

The data did not include details about asylum claims following the conference.

SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The issue of visa rejections and difficulties faced by delegates from Africa in attending the AIDS conference in Montreal highlights the issue of reduced inequalities. The article mentions that some African delegates accused Ottawa of racism, indicating a lack of equal treatment in visa processing. SDG 10 aims to reduce inequalities within and among countries.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

The article mentions that the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada struggled to work with the International AIDS Society to avoid a mass refusal of visas. This highlights the need for strong institutions and equal access to justice for all, as stated in SDG 16.

SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

The article mentions the need for better coordination and communication between the Immigration Department, Global Affairs Canada, and the Public Health Agency of Canada for high-profile events. This highlights the importance of partnerships and collaboration in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, as outlined in SDG 17.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

Target 10.7: Facilitate orderly, safe, regular, and responsible migration and mobility of people, including through the implementation of planned and well-managed migration policies

The difficulties faced by African delegates in obtaining visas and the subsequent claims for asylum highlight the need for facilitating safe and regular migration. Target 10.7 aims to ensure that migration is orderly, safe, and well-managed.

Target 16.3: Promote the rule of law at the national and international levels and ensure equal access to justice for all

The struggles faced by the Immigration Department in coordinating visa processing for the AIDS conference highlight the need for equal access to justice and the promotion of the rule of law. Target 16.3 aims to ensure equal access to justice for all individuals.

Target 17.17: Encourage and promote effective public, public-private, and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships

The need for better coordination and communication between different government agencies involved in high-profile events, as mentioned in the article, emphasizes the importance of partnerships. Target 17.17 aims to encourage and promote effective partnerships to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

No specific indicators are mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets.

4. Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

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Source: globalnews.ca

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