October 10, 2014 — Ottawa —Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander today announced that Andorra, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Romania and San Marino will be added to Canada’s list of Designated Countries of Origin (DCOs), effective October 10, 2014.
Canada’s DCO policy helps deter abuse of our generous refugee system by people who come from countries that respect human rights, offer state protection and do not normally produce refugees. The government’s suite of recent immigration reforms ensures that those who genuinely need Canada’s protection get it faster, while those with unfounded asylum claims are sent home more quickly through expedited processing.
“Canadians can be proud of the fact that Canada has one of the most generous refugee systems in the world. Thanks to our government’s reforms to Canada’s asylum system, we are providing protection quickly to those who are truly in need while protecting our system from abuse. We will continue to welcome legitimate trade and travel with our European partners.”
“DCO designation is reserved for those countries that respect and protect the rights of their citizens. By expediting the processing of DCO claimants, we are ensuring that genuine refugees get protection faster, while those with unfounded claims are sent home more quickly.”
Chris Alexander, Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister
Kevin Menard
Minister’s Office
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-954-1064
Media Relations
Communications Branch
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
613-952-1650
CIC-Media-Relations@cic.gc.ca
Building a stronger Canada: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) strengthens Canada’s economic, social and cultural prosperity, helping ensure Canadian safety and security while managing one of the largest and most generous immigration programs in the world.