OTTAWA, December 20, 2004 -- The Honourable Andrew Telegdi, PC, MP (Kitchener-Waterloo), Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration, announced that the Committee will be monitoring the implementation of the Safe Third Country Agreement with the United States, scheduled to take effect on December 29, 2004. The Agreement precludes refugee claimants who have transited the U.S. from making a refugee claim at a Canadian land border port of entry, with some exceptions. "The Committee studied this Agreement in some detail in 2002 and numerous concerns were expressed by people working on the front lines with refugees," said Telegdi. "For example, the fact that it only applies to land border ports of entry and not to inland immigration offices may cause an increase in people smuggling. If that were to happen, the whole point of the Agreement - to reduce claim numbers in Canada - would be undermined. Not only that, but claimants would be put in harm's way and the only real beneficiaries would be the smugglers and people traffickers." The Representative in Canada of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Mr. Jahanshah Assadi, informed the Committee that the UNHCR will be monitoring the Agreement on both sides of the border and reporting its findings. "The UNHCR's involvement in ensuring that our international obligations are respected is extremely important," said Telegdi. "In our 2002 study, questions about the American asylum system were raised and some of the witnesses suggested that the U.S. is not necessarily a safe place for some refugee claimants. We have been told that our determination systems are roughly equal, but the Committee wants to ensure that this Agreement does not result in violations of the Refugee Convention or the Convention Against Torture. The right to seek and enjoy asylum from persecution is a fundamental human right that cannot be sacrificed for administrative efficiencies." The House of Commons Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration CHAIR: Andrew Telegdi VICE-CHAIRS: Meili Faille and Inky Mark MEMBERS: Diane Ablonczy, David A. Anderson, Colleen Beaumier, Roger Clavet, Hedy Fry, Helena Guergis, Rahim Jaffer, Bill Siksay and Lui Temelkovski - 30 - For further information: William Farrell Clerk of the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration Telephone: (613) 995-8525 Honorable Andrew Telegdi, C.P., M.P. Telephone: (613) 996-5928 E-mail: CIMM@parl.gc.ca
