INTERPRETATION
OF THE
CONVENTION REFUGEE DEFINITION
IN THE CASE LAW
Legal Services
Immigration and Refugee Board
December 2002
Addendum #2 - December 2004
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- MEMORANDUM
- KEY POINTS
- 1. INTRODUCTION
- 1.1. FOREWORD
- 1.2. EXPLANATORY
NOTES
- 1.3. CONVENTION
REFUGEE DEFINITION
- 1.3.1. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 96
- meaning of "Convention refugee"
- 1.3.2. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Section
108(1) and (4) - cessation of refugee protection
- 1.3.3. Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, s. 98
- exclusion clauses
- 1.3.4. Schedule to the Immigration and Refugee Protection
Act - exclusion clauses
- 1.4. GENERAL
RULES OF INTERPRETATION
- 1.4.1. Surrogate Protection
- 1.4.2. Fear of Persecution For A Convention Reason
- 1.4.3. Two Presumptions At Play In Refugee Determination
- 1.4.4. State Complicity Not Required
- 1.4.5. Existence Of Fear Of Persecution
- 1.4.6. Use Of Underlying Anti-Discrimination Law In Interpreting
Particular Social Group
- 1.4.7. Broad and General Interpretation of Political Opinion
- 1.4.8. Examiner To Consider The Relevant Grounds
- 1.4.9. Perception Of Persecutor
- 1.4.10. Section 7 Of The Charter
- 1.4.11. All Elements Of The Definition Must Be Met
- 1.4.12. Personal Targeting Not Required
- 1.4.13. Standard Of Proof Is "Reasonable or Serious Possibility"
- TABLE
OF CASES
- 2. COUNTRY OF PERSECUTION
- 2.1. COUNTRY
OF NATIONALITY
- 2.1.1. Multiple Nationalities
- 2.1.2. Establishing Nationality
- 2.1.3. Right to Citizenship
- 2.1.3.1. Failure to Access Possible Protection in a Third
Country
- 2.1.4. Effectiveness of Nationality
- 2.2. FORMER
HABITUAL RESIDENCE
- 2.2.1. Principles and Criteria for Establishing Country of Former
Habitual Residence
- 2.2.2. Multiple Countries of Former Habitual Residence
- 2.2.3. Nature of Ties to Country
- 2.2.4. Subsisting Well-Founded Fear of Persecution
- 2.2.5. Evidence of Persecution for a Convention Reason
- 2.2.6. State Protection
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- 3. PERSECUTION
- 3.1. GENERALLY
- 3.1.1. Definition
- 3.1.1.1. Serious Harm
- 3.1.1.2. Repetition and Persistence
- 3.1.1.3. Nexus
- 3.1.1.4. Common Crime or Persecution?
- 3.1.1.5. Agent of Persecution
- 3.1.2. Cumulative Acts of Discrimination and/or Harassment
- 3.1.3. Forms of Persecution
- 3.1.3.1. Some Judicial Observations
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- 4. GROUNDS
OF PERSECUTION
- 4.1. GENERALLY
- 4.2. RACE
- 4.3. NATIONALITY
- 4.4. RELIGION
- 4.5. PARTICULAR
SOCIAL GROUP
- 4.6. POLITICAL
OPINION
- 4.7. VICTIMS
OF CRIMINALITY AND NEXUS TO GROUNDS
- TABLE
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- 5. WELL-FOUNDED
FEAR
- 5.1. GENERALLY
- 5.2. TEST
- STANDARD OF PROOF
- 5.3. SUBJECTIVE
FEAR AND OBJECTIVE BASIS
- 5.3.1. Establishing the Subjective and Objective Elements
- 5.4. DELAY
- 5.4.1. Delay in leaving the country of persecution
- 5.4.2. Failure to seek protection in other countries
- 5.4.3. Delay in making a claim upon arrival in Canada
- 5.5. RE-AVAILMENT
OF PROTECTION
- 5.6. SUR
PLACE CLAIMS AND WELL-FOUNDED FEAR
- TABLE
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- 6. STATE
PROTECTION
- 6.1. INTRODUCTION
- GENERAL PRINCIPLES
- 6.1.1. Surrogate Protection
- 6.1.2. Multiple Nationalities
- 6.1.3. Timing of Analysis
- 6.1.4. Unable or Unwilling - A Blurred Distinction - No Requirement
for State Complicity
- 6.1.5. Presumptions
- 6.1.5.1. Inability to Protect - Nexus
- 6.1.6. Burden of Proof
- 6.1.7. Obligation to Approach the State
- 6.1.8. Rebutting the Presumption of Protection
- 6.1.9. More Than One Authority in the Country
- 6.1.10. Adequacy of Protection - Standard
- 6.1.11. Source of Protection
- 6.2. STATELESS
CLAIMANTS
- 6.3. APPLICATION
OF THE LAW TO SPECIFIC SITUATIONS
- TABLE
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- 7. CHANGE
OF CIRCUMSTANCES AND COMPELLING REASONS
- 7.1. CHANGE
OF CIRCUMSTANCES
- 7.1.1. Standard of Proof and Criteria
- 7.1.2. Application
- 7.1.3. Reasons and Assessment of Evidence
- 7.1.4. Notice
- 7.1.5. Post-Hearing Evidence
- 7.2. COMPELLING
REASONS
- 7.2.1. Applicability
- 7.2.2. Duty to Consider and Adequacy of Reasons
- 7.2.3. Meaning of "Compelling Reasons"
- 7.2.3.1. Summary of the State of the Case Law
- 7.3. SUR
PLACE CLAIMS
- 7.3.1. Claimant's Activities Abroad
- 7.3.2. Changes in Country Conditions or Claimant's Personal
Circumstances
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- 8. INTERNAL FLIGHT
ALTERNATIVE (IFA)
- 8.1. GENERALLY
- 8.2. TWO-PRONGED
TEST
- 8.4. INTERPRETATION
AND APPLICATION OF THE TWO-PRONGED TEST
- 8.4.1. Fear of Persecution
- 8.4.2. Reasonable in All the Circumstances
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- 9. PARTICULAR
SITUATIONS
- 9.1. INTRODUCTION
- 9.2 CIVIL
WAR OR OTHER PREVALENT CONFLICT
- 9.2.1. Two Approaches: Comparative and Non-Comparative
- 9.2.1.1. Background
- 9.2.1.2. The Non-Comparative Approach is the Legal and
Preferred Test
- 9.3. PROSECUTION,
OR PERSECUTION FOR A CONVENTION REASON?
- 9.3.1. Limits to Acceptable Legislation and Enforcement
- 9.3.2. Laws of General Application
- 9.3.3. Policing Methods, National Security and Preservation
of Social Order
- 9.3.4. Enforcement and Serious Possibility
- 9.3.5. Exit Laws
- 9.3.6. Military Service: Conscientious Objection, Evasion, Desertion
- 9.3.7. One-Child Policy of China
- 9.3.8. Religious or Cultural Mores
- 9.3.8.1. Restrictions upon Women
- 9.3.8.2. Ahmadis from Pakistan
- 9.4. INDIRECT
PERSECUTION AND FAMILY UNITY
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- 10. EXCLUSION CLAUSES
- 10.1. ARTICLE
1E
- 10.1.1. Ability to Return and Remain
- 10.1.1.1. Onus to Renew Status
- 10.1.2. Rights and Obligations of a National
- 10.1.3. Fear of Persecution in the Article 1E Country
- 10.2. ARTICLE
1F(a): Crimes Against Peace, War Crimes and Crimes Against Humanity
- 10.2.1. Crimes Against Peace
- 10.2.2. War Crimes
- 10.2.3. Crimes Against Humanity
- 10.2.4. Balancing
- 10.2.5. Defences
- 10.2.5.1. Duress
- 10.2.5.2. Superior Orders
- 10.2.5.3. Military Necessity
- 10.2.5.4. Remorse
- 10.2.6. Complicity
- 10.2.6.1. Mere Membership in an Organization
- 10.2.6.2. Presence at the Scene
- 10.2.6.3. Rounding Up of Dissidents
- 10.2.6.4. Responsibility of Superiors
- 10.3. ARTICLE
1 F(b): Serious Non-Political Crimes
- 10.3.1. "Serious Crimes"
- 10.3.2. "Non-Political Crimes"
- 10.4. ARTICLE
1F(c): Acts Contrary to the Purposes and Principles of the United
Nations
- 10.4.1. Complicity
- 10.5. BURDEN
AND STANDARD OF PROOF
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