Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security 2017-2022 - Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada - Progress report for fiscal year 2017-2018

In keeping with the principles of the Canadian National Action Plan (the Action Plan) on Women Peace and Security (WPS), Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recognizes that women and children are particularly vulnerable to being targeted for sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in situations of conflict and state fragility. As a result, the department has put in place a number of policies and programs designed to provide protection to women and children in protracted conflict situations. 

Forward-looking approach: Priority areas to support action plan implementation

The department has set out three priority areas for integrating the Action Plan into its activities as a supporting partner in response to helping women and girls in conflict zones. These priorities consist of governance, accountability and training/education.

1. Governance

Context: The department’s first priority area for integrating the Action Plan into its activities is governance. Stemming from the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, its regulations, and the operational guidance provided to staff, IRCC strives to ensure that gender and human rights factors are considered in the department’s policies, programs and processes. In addition, IRCC uses Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA+) as an analytical tool to bring gender and identity perspectives into its work. This allows for a more integrated and comprehensive understanding of the impacts and implications of policies, programs and initiatives on women and girls, especially where the vulnerability of individuals is of particular concern.

Objectives

1.1 Gender is integrated in relevant IRCC program and applications processes

Activities:

1.1.1 Implement an integrated (holistic) approach to gender to include GBA+ while processing applications through the immigration continuum.

1.1.2 Strengthen the use of GBA+ in the department’s assessment of policies, programs and procedures, including existing policies or operational guidance.

1.1.3 Establish a framework to assess vulnerability of women, girls, and gender-diverse people.

1.1.4 *Effective implementation of the Action Plan through support of IRCC senior management.

Indicators:

• Creation and implementation of a policy framework for defining vulnerability.

1.2 IRCC programs (domestically and abroad) contribute to the Action Plan

Activities:

Support the implementation of the Action Plan through a variety of IRCC programs, by integrating a gender-based perspective along IRCC’s immigration continuum:

I- Refugee Program

1. a) Asylum

1.2.1 Consider gender-specific factors in the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment determination process for failed asylum claimants.

1.2.2 Conduct country monitoring and analysis which include emphasis on vulnerable population (women, girls and gender-diverse people) for the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment -Bar Exemption.

1.2.3 Implement instructions for the delivery of IRCC programs to ensure that vulnerable persons benefit from consideration to their physical comfort, sensitivity to any cultural and/or gender issues, and are able to choose the gender of the interviewing officer.

1. b) Resettlement

1.2.4 Continue to resettle the most vulnerable groups, including women and girls from abroad.

1.2.5 Maintain high priority on the protection of refugee women and recognize their unique protection needs through the Women at Risk program.

1.2.6 Complete the resettlement of 1,200 Survivors of Daesh, including vulnerable Yazidi women and children, by the end of 2017.

1.2.7 Provide Resettlement Assistance Program for 12 months to Government Assisted Refugees ; 6 months to Blended Visa Office Referred refugees; and 3 months to LGBTQ+ ^{Footnote 1} refugees who are privately sponsored (through a cost-sharing arrangement with Rainbow Refugee society); as well as Joint Assistance Sponsorship for up to 24 months to refugees who are identified as having special needs.

II- Settlement Program

1.2.8 Continue to fund and implement a range of targeted settlement services that can be accessed by newcomer women, including refugees, such as mentoring, information and orientation on rights and responsibilities, employment, language supports, and family and gender-based violence (GBV) prevention support, as well as support services which include childcare, transportation assistance, translation, interpretation, temporary crisis counseling, and provisions for addressing disabilities, to reduce barriers to access settlement services.

1.2.9 As part of It’s Time: Canada’s Strategy to Prevent and Address Gender-Based Violence (GBV Strategy), implement enhancements to the Settlement Program to offer place-based services for newcomers who may face challenges in accessing GBV supports and to provide training for front-line settlement workers to help identify GBV and make appropriate referrals to support immigrant and refugee women and girls.

III- Immigration Program

1.2.10 Provide humanitarian and compassionate consideration for individuals, including women and girls, who are not asylum claimants but who may nonetheless have special circumstances that should be taken into consideration in the assessment of their application for Permanent Resident status.

1.2.11 Continue to uphold April 2017 repeal of the regulatory requirement that previously applied to some sponsored spouses or partners of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to live with their sponsor for two years as a condition to maintaining their permanent resident status.

1.2.12 Continue to uphold June 2015 regulatory changes to increase the minimum age of a recognized spouse from 16 to 18 in all permanent and temporary immigration programs and to ensure that marriages conducted by proxy, telephone, fax, Internet or other similar forms are not recognized within permanent and temporary immigration programs.

Indicators:

I- Refugee Program

1. a) Asylum

1.2.1 Number of Pre-Removal Risk Assessment determination cases that consider gender-specific factors.

1.2.2 Number of monitoring and analysis reports with emphasis on vulnerable population (women, girls and LGBTQ+) within a conflict-zone.

1.2.3 Number of Operational Bulletins, or clarifications on new/existing policies or procedures, that include gender and human rights considerations. 

1. b) Resettlement

1.2.4 Number of female applicants (and/or female dependants) who came to Canada through the Women at Risk Program.

1.2.5 Number of women and girls Survivors of Daesh resettled in Canada in 2017.

1.2.6 Number of refugee women (and girls) who received Resettlement Assistance Program and Joint Assistance Sponsorship.

II- Settlement Program

1.2.7 Percentage of Annual Budget allocated to settlement services specific for women.

1.2.8 Number of new settlement services based on gender violence interventions for newcomer women and families (such as activities to mitigate the risks of exposure to GBV by strengthening knowledge of Canadian laws, social cohesion, and referrals to essential community supports specializing in violence prevention).

1.2.9 Number of female clients who access each component of the Settlement Program (information and orientation, needs assessment and referral, language training, employment related services, community connections, and support services.

1.2.10 Percentage of newcomers and settlement workers who receive interventions funded by the GBV Strategy enhancement to the Settlement Program that report increased knowledge of GBV and awareness of available services.

III- Immigration Program

1.2.11 Number of women and girls who applied and were allowed to stay in Canada based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations.

Progress achieved as of March 31, 2018:

I- Refugee Program

1. a) Asylum

• 1 monitoring and analysis report with emphasis on vulnerable populations was produced in FY 2017/18.

1. b) Resettlement

• Canada resettled 26,980 refugees in 2017, 48% of whom were women and girls.
• Canada resettled 415 vulnerable refugees through the Women at Risk program in 2017, 305 (73%) of whom were women and girls.
• Canada resettled 1,322 people, 55% of whom were women and girls through the Survivors of Daesh initiative (October 2017 - April 29, 2018).
• IRCC assisted the resettlement of 4,430 women and girls through its Resettlement Assistance Program and Joint Assistance Sponsorship program.

II- Settlement Program

• IRCC invested over $730 million to support the settlement needs of newcomers outside of Quebec, more than half of these clients were women.
• In 2016, of the 410,000 clients who accessed at least one Settlement Program service in Canada (outside of Quebec), 57% were women.
• 3 service provider organizations are delivering gender-based violence programming through the GBV Strategy, and two contribution agreements were signed in early FY 2018/19.

III- Immigration Program

• In 2017, nearly 3,300 women and girls applied to stay in Canada based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations, and just over 1,750 women and girls were approved.

I- Refugee Program

1. a) Asylum

• Pre-Removal Risk Assessment officers continued to take into consideration gender-specific factors put forward by applicants, whether or not they were refugee claimants.
• Responding to its protection mandate, the Country Risk Assessment Unit within the Refugee Affairs Branch of IRCC continued ongoing monitoring of human rights conditions of vulnerable populations (women, girls and gender-diverse people) around the world; this monitoring was part of daily monitoring of sudden changes in country conditions, for the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment Bar Exemption.
• Program delivery instructions for in-Canada claims included a section on the Processing of in-Canada claims for refugee protection of minors and vulnerable persons, which take into consideration the importance of special accommodation for these persons.

1. b) Resettlement

• Canada resettled 26,980 refugees in 2017, 48% of whom were women and girls.
• In March 2018, Canada completed its commitment to resettle Survivors of Daesh, including vulnerable women and children.
• Canada provides direct financial support and essential services to government-assisted refugees and other eligible clients through its Resettlement Assistance Program.  In FY 2017/18, 7,865 government-assisted refugees were admitted to Canada and identified to begin receiving up to 12 months of income support, while 35 high-needs government-assisted refugees were identified as special needs cases requiring up to 24 months of income support through Joint Assistance Sponsorship program. Additionally, 1,190 refugees were admitted through the Blended Visa Officer Referred program and identified to receive up to six months of income support and nine privately sponsored LGBTQ+ refugees, who arrived via a cost-sharing arrangement with Rainbow Refugee society, received up to three months of income support.

II- Settlement Program

• Through the Settlement Program, IRCC continued to ensure that targeted settlement supports for vulnerable populations, including women and refugees, remain a priority area.
• Through the Settlement Program, some organizations received funding to deliver place-based violence prevention programming as well as training and capacity building for service-providing organizations in the area of violence prevention and awareness.
• Budget 2018 allocated $31.8 million over three years for IRCC to launch a pilot project to support programming for newcomer women who are also members of visible minority groups, in an effort to remove potential barriers to employment.
• IRCC offers specialized settlement supports to LGBTQ+ immigrants, including refugees upon arrival in Canada.

III- Immigration Program

• Through its humanitarian and compassionate program, IRCC granted permanent resident status based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations to 3,460 persons, including women and girls, in FY 2017/18.
• Canada eliminated the condition that applied to some sponsored spouses and partners to live with their sponsor for two years to maintain their permanent resident status.
• IRCC continued to uphold the 2015 regulatory amendment that increased the minimum age of a recognized spouse from 16 to 18 in all permanent and temporary immigration programs, to help address concerns of early and forced marriages and to protect vulnerable children from being sponsored as spouses.

Results and Progress:

Refugee Program:

• While gender-specific factors are considered when they are brought forward in Pre-Removal Risk Assessment determination cases, data was not collected in FY 2017/18 pertaining to specific factors in applications, gender-specific or otherwise.
• 1 monitoring and analysis report with emphasis on vulnerable populations was produced in FY 2017/18. Reports of violence against members of the LGBTQ+ community in Chechnya had resulted in a change of country conditions within the Chechen Republic of Russia. As a result, individuals from Russia were exempted from the one-year bar on accessing a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment, as they could have faced a situation of risk that may warrant an additional assessment.
• In 2017, Canada resettled 415 vulnerable refugees through the Women at Risk program, 305 (73%) of whom were women and girls.
• In 2017, Canada resettled 26,980 refugees, 48% of whom were women and girls; given the sheer size of the global refugee crisis, Canada relied primarily on the UN Refugee Agency to identify the most vulnerable refugees in need of resettlement, including women and girls.
• The Budget 2018 commitment ($20.3 million over five years) to welcome an additional 1,000 refugee women and girls in need of resettlement, beginning FY 2018/19 was in addition to planned refugee resettlement targets and increased resettlement through the Women at Risk program.
• From the beginning of the Survivors of Daesh initiative in October 2017 to April 29, 2018, Canada resettled 1,322 people, 55% of whom were women and girls.
• In 2017-18 fiscal year, IRCC assisted resettlement of 4,430 women and girls through its Resettlement Assistance Program and Joint Assistance Sponsorship program.

II- Settlement Program

• In 2017-18, the department invested over $730 million to support the settlement needs of newcomers outside of Quebec, more than half of whom are women. Targeted services and resources included women-only language classes and conversation circles. As targeted services are often embedded in broader programming offerings, the percentage of funding allocated to settlement services specific for women was not available.
• In 2016, the department developed a multilingual violence prevention resource card available in (English, French, Arabic, Punjabi, Mandarin, Spanish, and Tagalog), and IRCC was exploring some additional languages. The information on this card directs clients to a variety of resources that can be accessed in most places throughout Canada. More than 43,000 cards have been disseminated to service providers and an additional 143,000 are to be disseminated in 2018-19.
• The 2017 Annual Report to Parliament on Immigration began incorporating sex-disaggregated data on client access of the Settlement Program.
  • In 2016, of the 410,000 clients who accessed at least one Settlement Program service in Canada (outside of Quebec), 57% were women.
  • Women used every type of settlement service at a higher rate than men, particularly language training (66% women).
• There are three service-provider organizations delivering Gender Based Violence programming through the GBV Strategy, and two Contribution Agreements were signed in early FY 2018/19.

III- Immigration Program

• In 2017, nearly 3,300 women and girls applied to stay in Canada based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations, and just over 1,750 women and girls were approved.
• On April 18, 2017, IRCC eliminated the condition that applied to some sponsored spouses and partners to live with their sponsor for two years to maintain their permanent resident status. IRCC has continued to uphold this regulatory repeal to support the government's commitment to gender equality and combatting gender violence and addressing concerns that the condition may potentially have resulted in vulnerable spouses staying in abusive relationships for fear of losing their status in Canada.

2. Accountability

Context: The department’s second priority in integrating the Action Plan into its activities is accountability, where IRCC will continue to enhance its contribution at home and within international forums through horizontal coordination, participation at regular meetings with domestic and international partners (e.g. other governments, international organizations, and non-governmental organizations), and by providing input and feedback to national and international processes.

Objectives

2.1 An IRCC Action Plan focal point is established

Activities:

2.1.1 Develop a focal point within the department to coordinate IRCC’s support of the Action Plan and gender considerations in the area of women, peace and security.

Indicators:

• The existence of a focal point within the department that would coordinate IRCC’s support of the Action Plan.

Progress achieved as of March 31, 2018:

• IRCC appointed a departmental focal point to coordinate IRCC’s support of the Action Plan.

2.2 IRCC domestic  contribution on the Action Plan is enhanced

Activities:

2.2.1 Solicit support and engagement within the department on implementation of GBA+ in relation to the Action Plan.

2.2.2 Participate in annual GBA+ surveys by SWC to report on the application of GBA+ within the department’s programs that are of relevance to the Action Plan.

2.2.3 *In the context of the requirement to undertake GBA+ in Memoranda to Cabinet, provide analysis that considers and supports the Action Plan when applicable.

2.2.4 *Participate in the Action Plan Advisory Group meetings.

Indicators:

2.2.1 Number of GBA+ surveys by SWC that were filled out by IRCC with specific consideration of the Action Plan.

2.2.2 Regular reporting on the Action Plan.

2.3 The Action Plan is promoted in international fora

Activities:

2.3.1 Support a gender-based perspective in the development of the Global Compacts on Refugees and on Safe, Orderly, and Regular Migration.

2.3.2 *Strengthen IRCC’s capacity in integrating gender perspectives in the department’s work by providing evidence-base analysis that supports GBA+ assessments on global issues such as human trafficking and forced migration.

2.3.3 *Encourage the inclusion of Action Plan perspectives in IRCC contributions to bilateral engagements and international forums, such as the International Organization for Migration, the UN Refugee Agency, key regional consultations on migration (e.g. the Regional Conference on Migration, the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum and Refugees) and UN committees and sub-committees.

Indicators:

2.3.1 Number of times gender considerations were included in negotiation/statements of the Global Compacts on Refugees and on Migration.

2.3.2 Number of IRCC engagements in bilateral and multilateral forums where Action Plan objectives were considered.

3. Training and education

Context: The department’s third priority in integrating the Action Plan into its activities is training and education, where IRCC promotes GBA+ awareness and training to all of its staff, including IRCC leaders and decision-makers working at home and abroad.

Objectives

3.1 IRCC employees are aware of GBA+, gender-based and Action Plan considerations

Activities:

3.1.1 Encourage all IRCC staff and senior management to complete the Status of Women Canada’s GBA+ online introduction course, which provides a foundational understanding of applying gender and identity considerations to policies and programs.

3.1.2 Continue to provide the training sessions on “gender and decision-making” and on “vulnerable persons” as part of specific staff training before they go overseas to missions abroad to process the refugee caseload.

3.1.3 *Enhance the training sessions to support the Action Plan by expanding it to include other IRCC staff operating in Canada and abroad.

3.1.4 Continue to provide review of administrative measures to address forced marriage cases; of excluded relationships – proxy, telephone, fax, internet or similar marriage forms; and of change to the minimum age of eligibility of spouses and partners as part of family class/family member training before staff go overseas to missions abroad (e.g. OB599, OB613, OB605 respectively).

3.1.5 * Invite Global Affairs Canada and other Action Plan partners to present their activities to IRCC governance tables (e.g., Policy Committee Business Operations Committee, and D epartmental Management Committee).

Indicators:

3.1.1 Number of courses or training sessions given with a module on gender and decision-making (e.g. Foreign Service Development Program training, Locally Engaged Officers training, refugee training, etc.).

3.1.2 Number of staff who complete the Status of Women Canada’s GBA+ online introduction course.

3.1.3 Number of staff (overseas Locally Engaged Staff or other IRCC) who participated in the “gender and decision-making” training session.

3.1.4 Number of times Global Affairs Canada has presented its activities to IRCC governance tables (e.g. Policy Committee, Business Operations Committee, and Departmental Management Committee).