POLICY PAPER WRITING

{MODULE # 5}

 

IDENTIFY THE CURRENT POLICY AND NEW DIRECTIONS AND/OR ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS PROPOSED BY OFFICIALS OR POLICY MAKERS

CURRENT POLICIES PRIMARILY REFER TO OFFICIAL LAWS/ POLICIES/ PRACTICES. NEW DIRECTIONS /ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS PRIMARILY REFER TO REFORMS/ RECOMMENDATIONS/ ACTION PLANS TO HELP RECTIFY A PERCEIVED PROBLEM IN THE CURRENT POLICIES.

IT IS FOUNDATIONAL TO ANALYSE CURRENT POLICIES, NEW DIRECTIONS AND ANY ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS RELATED TO PROPOSED CHANGES IN LEGISLATION THAT POLICY MAKERS HAVE DISCUSSED.

EVALUTATING THE GENERAL TRENDS IN THE APPROACHES TAKEN TO A SOCIAL PROBLEM ISOLATES THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF CURRENT AND PROPOSED POLICY/LEGISLATION, AND LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR (YOUR) ASSESSMENT AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

 

Grits church refugee deal ripped

Wed, November 3, 2004

By MARIA MCCLINTOCK, OTTAWA BUREAU

FAILED REFUGEE claimants who seek sanctuary in Canadian churches could have their cases fast-tracked to Immigration Minister Judy Sgro within 10 days as part of a deal she's proposing. Sgro came under fire yesterday for offering churches the deal -- which was rejected -- especially since her department has failed to implement a refugee appeal division as outlined in the 2002 Immigration and Refugee Protection Act because it would be too costly.

There are currently four cases involving failed refugee claimants who are seeking asylum in Canadian churches.

Under Sgro's proposal, the churches would have to agree to provide sanctuary to only 12 cases annually.

'LUDICROUS' PLAN

NDP MP Ed Broadbent called Sgro's plan "ludicrous" and "offensive" and added he's baffled by Sgro's plan because she already has ministerial authority to intervene in refugee appeal cases based on humanitarian grounds.

United Church of Canada spokesman Heather Macdonald said churches are not going to do the work of the immigration department.

"She said she would not look at our cases unless we agreed to a proposal ... we're at an impasse now," said Macdonald.

Sgro called her offer to review "exceptional" cases within 10 days "generous."

 

IMMIGRATION “SANCTUARY” QUESTIONS

1)       WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT WANT TO MAKE THE DEAL?

(PROPOSAL SUGGESTS THAT CHURCHES WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DECIDE ON 12 FAILED REFUGEE CASES A YEAR. MS. SGRO HAS VOWED TO FAST-TRACK THOSE APPEALS)

2)       SHOULD THE CHURCH COMMUNITY ACCEPT THE DEAL – WHY OR WHY NOT?

3)       IS ACCEPTING THE DEAL TANTAMOUNT TO “DOING THE WORK OF IMMIGRATION AUTHORIITIES?”

4)       IS THIS A SHIFT IN GOVERNMENT – COMMUNITY RELATIONS ON IMMIGRATION MATTER/POLICY?

5)       HOW WOULD YOU GO ABOUT ADVISING CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS/COMMUNITIES IN REGARD TO THE “SANCTUARY” QUESTION?

 

Churches could decide fate of a dozen refugees, Sgro suggests

Globe and Mail Update

Immigration Minister Judy Sgro Tuesday introduced a proposal aimed at addressing the increasing numbers of failed refugee claimants who are taking sanctuary in churches.

Her proposal suggests that churches would be allowed to decide on 12 failed refugee cases a year. Ms. Sgro has vowed to fast-track those appeals.

In response to sanctuary, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration has suggested that church accept the mechanism for ministerial review for only around twelve failed refugee case as year. Why is the Minister presuming to limit the carefully considered justice actions of churches?” asked NDP MP Bill Blaikie during Question Period on Tuesday.

In response, Ms. Sgro read aloud a portion of a letter written to her from Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.

We were very appreciative of your offer of an interim solution to address the issue of failed refugee claimants who are currently residing in churches in Canada,” Ms. Sgro read.

It is our belief that this offer was extended in good faith and it was received that way. It was gratifying to know that you see us as important partners in addressing refugees' issues and we look forward to continuing our dialogue together in the future as you move forward on refugee reform,” the letter said.

Earlier this fall, Ms. Sgro announced a review of the refugee determination process between the government, churches and other stakeholders. And during the summer, she urged churches to stop granting sanctuary to failed refugee claimants. Ms. Sgro asked that churches come to her first before agreeing to give failed claimants a haven.

But historically in Canada, it is a fairly successful way of being granted asylum in Canada.

Of the 261 people involved in 36 different sanctuary cases in the past 20 years, 70 per cent have obtained legal status. The number of cases has risen recently, with 24 in the past six years compared with seven in the five years before that.

With reports from Marina Jiminez

 

Border Services has right to detain man in temple

CP

July 10, 2007

Vancouver -- A spokeswoman with Canada Border Services says there are no laws that prevent the agency from entering a place of worship to detain someone who is on a removal order.

However, Faith St. John said that has never been done because the agency respects the moral tradition of churches providing sanctuary.

Ms. St. John wouldn't comment specifically on the case of Laibar Singh, who sought sanctuary in an Abbotsford Sikh temple before he was scheduled to be returned to India on Sunday.

She would not comment on whether this would be done in Mr. Singh's case.

 

DOMAIN ANALYSIS

THE ETHNOGRAPHIC RESEARCH CYCLE

1)       DEFINE A RESEARCH/PUBLIC POLICY PROBLEM

2)       FORMULATE HYPOTHESES

3)       MAKE OPERATIONAL DEFINITIONS (DEFINE SPECIFIC TERMS THAT ENABLE RESEARCHERS/STAKEHOLDERS TO AGREE WHEN THEY IDENTIFY THE ISSUE[S] ENGAGED).

4)       DESIGN A RESEARCH INSTRUMENT (EX: PREVIOUSLY COLLECTED DATA FROM INTERVIEWS/ RESEARCH/ OBSERVATION).

5)       GATHER THE DATA

6)       ANALYZE DATA

7)       DRAW CONCLUSIONS

8)       REPORT ON RESULTS