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Do You Fear Human Rights Abuses if Deported?
You May be a Convention Refugee - Canada will Protect

It is now easier than ever to make a refugee claim under Canada’s new laws. If your life is in danger, you can apply. Canada’s refugee criteria is less restrictive than other countries, especially the U.S.

If You Apply for Refugee Status, You’re Entitled to Certain Benefits in Employment, Education and Health Care While a refugee protection claim is under consideration, a claimant needing public assistance can apply for a Work Permit, provided they take a routine medical exam. They can also attend school and get free public health care.

Do you fear human rights crimes, serious harm or persecution if forcibly returned to your home country? Then you may qualify as a Convention refugee the Canadian Government will protect from deportation.

What is a Convention refugee? An individual who fears human rights violations, serious harm or persecution in his or her home country for any of these reasons:

• Race
• Religion
• Nationality
• Membership in a particular social group
• Political Opinion

A Convention refugee must also be:

• Unable to obtain protection from their country´s police force or government.
• In danger of facing human rights abuses or harm in every part of their country.
• Outside their own country.

Persons granted Convention refugee status can apply for permanent Canadian residency.

An individual need NOT have suffered previous human rights abuses, violence or harm to qualify as a Convention refugee. One need NOT fear harm by the government, police or security forces to become a Convention refugee.

There are five reasons for applying for Convention refugee status. If you fear human rights violations or harm for one or more of the following grounds, you may be a Convention refugee that Canada will protect from deportation:

• Race:
  - Victims of racism and discriminatory measures.
  - Members of minority groups facing oppression.
  - Members of any ethnic group commonly called a "race" who fear human rights abuses or harm.
• Religion:
  - Persons fearing violation of their right to freely worship or publicly practice their religion.
  - Victims of religiously based discrimination.
  - Religious converts.
• Nationality:
  - Members of ethnic and religious groups facing persecution.
  - Victims of conflict between ethnic and linguistic groups.
  - Victims of discrimination or hostile government measures.
• Membership in a particular social group:
  - Victims of domestic violence or spousal abuse.
  - Victims of violence against women.
  - Members of families fearing human rights abuses or victimization.
  - Gays, lesbians and bisexuals.
  - Labour union members and activists.
  - Human rights defenders.
• Political Opinion:
  - Expressing or holding anti-government opinions or other political beliefs.
  - Opposing government policies.
  - Engaging in political activities or politically motivated acts opposed by the state.
  - Perceived as political opponent or enemy of state.
  - Political opinion need not involve the government.

Would Deportation Put Your Life at Risk?

You may be a person in need of protection entitled to apply for permanent residency in Canada if returning to your home country would create a:

• Risk to your life, OR
• Risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.

To avoid deportation and receive Canada's protection, you're NOT required to be at risk from the police, army or government of your home country. You can be at risk from other citizens and still avoid deportation. Claims based on personal threats and vendettas may allow you to avoid deportation.

Risk to Life

If deportation would put your life at risk, you may be entitled to Canada´s protection if the risk would:

• Be specific and personal
• Not be faced by the general population.
• Be present in your entire country

In addition, police protection must be unavailable.

If You Apply for Canadian Protection Based on Risk to Life You’re Entitled to Certain Benefits in Employment, Education and Health Care While a refugee protection claim is under consideration, a claimant needing public assistance can apply for a Work Permit, provided they take a routine medical exam. They can also attend school and get free public health care.

You´re NOT in need of protection if you face risks caused by:

• Natural disasters—like drought, famine and earthquake. Lack of health care

Are You in Danger of Torture if Deported?

If you´re in danger of torture upon deportation, the Canadian Government may protect you from forced removal to your country of nationality. You´ll also be eligible to apply for permanent Canadian residency.

You may face a serious risk of torture upon deportation if:

• You´ve been tortured before by state authorities-like police officers, army soldiers or prison guards; or
• Your government regularly uses torture-like those in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East-or commits widespread human rights abuses against its own population; or
• You´re a government opponent, political activist, suspected terrorist or rebel, gay or lesbian, journalist, labour leader, union member, or minority group member.

If You Apply for Canadian Protection Based on Risk to Life You’re Entitled to Certain Benefits in Employment, Education and Health Care While a refugee protection claim is under consideration, a claimant needing public assistance can apply for a Work Permit, provided they take a routine medical exam. They can also attend school and get free public health care.

To qualify for Canadian protection you must fear torture inflicted by government authorities like the police force, military or prison staff. If instead you fear torture at the hands of a private citizen or non-state group, you may be entitled to Canadian protection on other grounds.

If you´re in danger of being tortured upon removal to your country, to receive Canada´s protection you must also be:

• Unable to obtain protection from your home country´s authorities.
• Exposed to this danger throughout your entire country.

Canada´s Refugee Protection System

Guided by its proud tradition of human rights protection and humanitarianism, Canada offers protection to thousands of refugees and persons needing protection that fear returning to their home countries.

Canada´s refugee protection system grants asylum to foreigners fearing:

• Human rights abuses or persecution.
• Risks to their lives.
• Risks of torture by the authorities.
• Risks of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.

An application for refugee protection is usually made at a Canadian port of entry or inland Canada Immigration Centre (CIC). Once it´s determined that the refugee claimant meets the eligibility criteria, the claim is referred to an independent tribunal-the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB)-for a hearing and decision on whether the claimant qualifies for refugee protection.

Refugee protection will be granted if and when the IRB concludes that a claimant´s fear of repatriation is justified. Convention refugees and protected persons are entitled to apply for permanent Canadian residency.

Convention refugee fears human rights violations or persecution in their home country due to their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion. They must also be unable to obtain protection from their country´s police force and authorities and in danger throughout their entire country.

Persons in need of protection fear that deportation to their home country would risk their lives, or risk their subjection to torture or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. Such persons need not fear the police, army or government and may be at risk from other citizens, personal threats or vendettas.