Bill S-235: Joint Submission to the Senate

The Border(ing) Practices Project, in collaboration with West Coast LEAF, WomanACT, and the South Asian Legal Clinic of British Columbia, completed a joint submission in support of Senate Bill S-235. This bill proposes critical amendments to the Citizenship Act and the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to grant citizenship to children in the welfare system. Bill S-235 addresses gaps in the protection of children's rights, especially for those arriving in Canada as immigrants, refugees, or asylum-seekers. This act aligns with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, by being attentive to the rights and best interests of children when decisions are made that relate to and affect their future. 

See the submission here:

Learn more about the bill here: https://www.parl.ca/legisinfo/en/bill/44-1/s-235?view=progress   

Learn about upcoming hearings here: https://sencanada.ca/en/committees/SOCI/noticeofmeeting/628051/44-1   

Our submission highlights the urgency of addressing the precarious status of immigrant children and youth in Canada's child welfare system. To summarize, we proposed 2 key recommendations at this time: 

1. Recommendation 1: For the federal government to defer to terminology used by provincial and territorial governments to encompass the broad range of child welfare services and care offered to children and youth. 

1. Recommendation 2: For a clause to be added granting Ministerial powers to facilitate equitable consideration of eligibility beyond that is described in the Bill. 

We will continue to advocate for family unity as well as accessibility in the pathway to a permanent status and make further recommendations in our advocacy efforts as the legislative process moves forward. 

Thank you to those who endorsed for your collaboration and support in these efforts.