Karine Arakelian

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act - One Step Forward Two Steps Back Karine Arakelian

Refugee laws, as well as national security policies, have recently been an area of focus for the global community. With an increase in terrorist threats covering a wide geographical territory, shifts in national policies have focused on an increase in defence and security parameters, while tighter controls are put in place for refugee admissibility. Laws put in place to aid refugee flows, has been increasingly taken out of context and manipulated severely enough to allow nation-states high degrees of independence in matters of refugee controls. This has been demonstrated by a gradual decrease in human rights standards in the past 50 years. Internationally, developed nations systematically manipulate and control refugee laws, and Canada follows similar plans of action. With the recent introduction of the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, higher security measures, as well as tighter refugee controls are apparent. Will the objectives of the Act in attempting to increase security while protecting genuine refugees be successful, or will it be just another move towards limiting the rights of refugees? This book is addressed to policy analysts, students and professionals in the social sciences.