Monday, April 17

Judith Kumin

Saturday, April 15, 2000

Ottawa -- Jeffrey Simpson's plea (Waiting For The Right Immigration Bill -- April 12) to restrict the rights of asylum-seekers by invoking the Charter's "notwithstanding clause" neglects the plain fact that Canada's obligations to those in search of protection arise not solely from the Singh decison, nor solely from the Charter, but also from the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees.

It is a sad reality that war, persecution and other atrocious practices continue day by day to drive people into exile. Excluding refugees and asylum-seekers from basic human-rights guarantees will not solve this problem. Canada is not alone in trying to cope with the challenges of migration in the post-Cold War world. Distinguishing between refugees and immigrants, and enunciating clear policies toward these two groups, is a sign of good governance.

Representative in Canada, UN High Commission on Refugees