There are currently slightly more than 13 million refugees in the world who have been forced to flee their countries of origin. To this can be added millions more who are victims of forced displacement and who, because they remain within the borders of their country, are not refugees in the strict sense. Participants felt very strongly that the Women at Risk Program, established since 1988, is excellent. It is therefore recommended that the program be retained and the criteria for successful establishment be removed so that those most in need, usually women and children, are given the needed protection. Canada resettles Convention refugees and people in refugee-like situations.
Refugee claims in Canada.
Making this determination in Canada is the responsibility of an independent tribunal, the Immigration and Refugee Board. The current approach to making refugee decisions in Canada results largely from a decision of the Supreme Court of Canada involving the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Where a serious issue of credibility is involved, fundamental justice requires that credibility be determined on the basis of an in-person hearing before a decision maker. Currently, refugees from abroad are selected with the expectation that they will be able to become self-sufficient within a year of their arrival in Canada. In this decade, most refugees have needed a longer period before they could successfully resettle in Canada.