Ottawa will announce today that it has no plans to introduce a refugee appeal division, a move certain to anger refugee advocates and placate critics of the system who feel there are already too many reviews for asylum seekers.
Immigration Minister Joe Volpe is expected to tell the standing committee on immigration that his department has decided not to introduce an appeal division, although Parliament recommended its creation in 2002.
I'll grant that the current process appears to be improving as stated later in the article. But even if that's the case, there's still a need for a streamlined, merit-based appeals process - particularly when contrasted against the current system of forcing refugees to apply to a painfully backlogged Federal Court process for an appeal based solely on errors of law.
Instead, Volpe has sent the message today that his department is willing to ignore the merit of refugee claims. And given the media circus surrounding Gomery, it's all too likely that the rest of the country will follow suit for the foreseeable future.
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