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Latest edition – March 2017

This edition of the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Newsletter includes:

• Canada’s 150^th Anniversary and the IRCC partnership with CIBC
• National Flag of Canada Day
• Government of Canada’s commitment to helping 1200 Yazidi and other survivors of Daesh
• Did you know…? Asylum claimants are different from resettled refugees
• Video: “70^th Anniversary of Canadian Citizenship”
• Upcoming events and important dates

CIBC and IRCC kick off Canada 150 partnership

CIBC and IRCC kicked off a year-long partnership at a Canadian citizenship ceremony on January 28, 2017, in Toronto. IRCC is co-hosting several Canada 150 citizenship ceremonies across Canada in partnership with CIBC throughout 2017. Stay tuned for more collaborative events to come.

Associated links

• CIBC partners with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to celebrate Canada’s and CIBC’s shared 150^th birthday
• Find a citizenship ceremony

National Flag of Canada Day

On February 15, 2017, Canada celebrated the 52^nd anniversary of the National Flag of Canada. Our national flag was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill on that day in 1965.

Canadians were invited to celebrate this important symbol of Canadian identity by organizing their own events and taking part in the “Share Your Moment with the Flag Challenge.” Check out how Canadians showed their pride for our magnificent flag on social media with #CanadianFlag.

Visit the Government of Canada website to learn more about the National Flag of Canada including the flags origin, flag etiquette and elements of the flag.

Government of Canada’s commitment to helping 1200 Yazidi and other survivors of Daesh

Canada has a tradition of providing protection to some of the world’s most vulnerable groups. IRCC is committed to helping vulnerable Yazidi women and children and other survivors of Daesh, by welcoming them to Canada.

IRCC has been working with United Nations Refugee Agency to identify survivors of Daesh as well as their family members who are both inside and outside of Iraq. This will allow for the resettlement of individuals who do not fit the traditional description of “refugees” because, while they displaced, they are still in their home country.

Canada offers assistance based on vulnerability, not just on the basis of religion or ethnicity. The Yazidi community has suffered a particularly high level of violence at the hands of Daesh. It is likely that Yazidis will feature prominently in the cases that are referred to Canada for resettlement.

The Government of Canada is taking steps to ensure that adequate settlement services and support will be available to these individuals once in Canada. It is crucial that the settlement community be prepared to support them. IRCC officials continue to work with key partners and organizations overseas to assess what supports are needed.

Numbers

As of February 22, 2017, nearly 400 vulnerable Yazidi women and children and other survivors of Daesh and their family members have arrived in Canada as government-assisted refugees. This met the target date set in a motion passed in the House of Commons on October 25, 2016.

By December 31, 2017, the Government of Canada will provide assistance to about 1200 vulnerable Yazidi women and children, and other survivors of Daesh and their family members.

Resettling survivors of Daesh is one way Canada is helping to support efforts to bring Daesh to justice.

Associated links

• Helping vulnerable Yazidi women and children and other survivors of Daesh
• Canada to welcome 1200 Yazidi and other survivors of Daesh
• Canada supporting efforts to bring Daesh to Justice

Did you know…?

Asylum claimants are different from resettled refugees.

Asylum seekers must make a refugee claim in Canada at a Port of Entry or at an in-land office (Canada Border Security Agency or IRCC). These claims are governed in part by international treaties that Canada has promised to uphold.

Resettled refugees are screened abroad and undergo security and medical checks prior to being issued a visa to come to Canada. When they arrive in Canada, they are permanent residents.

As asylum claimants and resettled refugees come to Canada through different immigration streams, those who cross the border illegally and claim asylum in Canada do not jump the queue. They do not take the place of refugees who are coming to Canada from abroad for resettlement.

All refugee claimants undergo health and security screening, including biographic and biometric checks as well as security and criminality checks.

IRCC feature video

The IRCC video team produces dozens of informative and creative videos each year on a wide range of subjects of interest to the Department, Canadians and our clients. We highlight one of their productions in each issue of our newsletter.

In this issue, we bring you the video “70^th Anniversary of Canadian Citizenship.”

This video celebrates the 70^th anniversary of Canadian citizenship by exploring the history of Canadian Citizenship, from Prime Minister Mackenzie King at the first citizenship ceremony, to present-day Canadians.

The Citizenship Act became law on January 1, 1947, making Canadian citizenship a legal status. With the enactment of the Citizenship Act, Canada became the first Commonwealth country to create its own class of citizenship separate from Great Britain.

Upcoming events and important dates

Mark your calendar! Below is a selection of upcoming special events and national celebrations.

• March is National Fraud Prevention Month, an annual public awareness campaign held every March to help people avoid becoming victims of fraud, by helping them to recognize and report it. Visit our website to find information and tips on immigration-related fraud.
• March 2 to 22 is Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie, an annual, worldwide celebration of the French language and culture. This year’s theme is “The Francophonie in 3D: Diversity, Duality, Dynamism!” Check out the calendar of activities organized across Canada.
• March 21 is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. Visit the United Nations #FightRacism campaign to find out what you can do to fight racism.
• April 9, 2017, is the 100^th anniversary of the Battle of Vimy Ridge. The Government of Canada will mark the 100^th anniversary of the First World War and the Battle of Vimy Ridge with commemorative ceremonies on April 9, 2017, at the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France, and the National War Memorial in Ottawa, Ontario.
• April 17, 2017, will mark the 35^th anniversary of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The Charter was signed into law 35 years ago as part of the Constitution Act, 1982.