A Call For Action – New Immigration Sponsorship Conditions Would Jeopardize Immigrant Women's Safety

Apr 10, 2011 | Battered Women's Support Services, Media Advisory

A Call For Action – New Immigration Sponsorship Conditions Would Jeopardize Women’s Safety

Anti Violence Advocates Address New Rules of Engagement for Immigrants

In a move that will hurt women in violent relationships, Canada’s federal government has quietly proposed new engagement rules for marriages involving Immigrants.  Under the proposal, a spouse or partner from abroad who has been in a relationship with the Canadian sponsor for two years or less would be granted only “conditional permanent residence” or risk having their permanent status revoked.   In turn, this could lead to their removal from Canada.

Please read Battered Women’s Support Services press release:
BWSS Press Release

Please read this Op-Ed from the Toronto Star:

Op-Ed Toronto Star

No One Is Illegal-Vancouver has written the following template letter:

Justine Ackman,

As an organization concerned with the safety and well being of immigrants,
particularly immigrant women, we are writing to request that the federal government’s recent proposal to introduce a conditional permanent residence period of two years or more for sponsored spouses and partners be stopped immediately.

According to a recent government release, “This proposed measure would
apply to spouses and partners who have been in a relationship with their sponsor for two years or less at the time of the sponsorship application.

The period of conditional status under consideration could be two years, or longer, from the time that the sponsored spouse or partner becomes a permanent resident in Canada.” Sponsored spouses or partners under conditional permanent residency, if found to no longer be in a bona fide
relationship, would have their permanent residency status revoked, leading to initiation of deportation.

In our opinion, this proposal creates an underclass of individuals who are dependent on their partners for permanent residency while at the same time gives disproportionate amounts of power to the sponsor to exploit that dependency. It leaves individuals, particularly women, at an increased risk of and abuse and punishes victims of domestic violence by forcing
them to remain in unsafe relationships for fear of deportation. The sponsored partner is left in a vulnerable position, as their status is
dependent on their relationship with their sponsor for a minimum of two years following the approval of their permanent residency application. By legislating “conditional residency”, this proposal only serves to further
regulate the lives of individuals with precarious status, thus undermining their rights to equality and safety.

In response to concerns regarding the wellbeing of spouses and partners in
abusive relationships, the government states: “a process for allowing bona fide spouses and partners in such situations to come forward without
facing enforcement action would be developed if a conditional permanent
residence period were introduced.” As an organization that understands the barriers that individuals face when fleeing abusive relationships, we know that women, and in particular recent immigrants, face multiple barriers
when fleeing their partners.

These barriers reduce access to government programs and services, and include factors such as partner monitoring,
language barriers, fear and intimidation, and lack of information. In addition, migrants often lack the crucial support of family members or close community members in accessing safe avenues for separation.

This proposal is part of a broader pattern of harming migrant women and trapping them into emotionally and physically violent situations, serving to increase unequal gendered power dynamics. This proposal follows an announcement made by Canadian Border Services Agency on February 11th
asserting a national policy ordering its officers to enter and wait outside anti-violence against women spaces to detain and deport women
survivors of violence.

Furthermore, this proposal is being billed as a measure to prevent “marriages of convenience”. This term and discourse in itself is
problematic as it applies almost explicitly only to marriages entered into by immigrants and intensifies anti-migrant suspicion and profiling.

In light of the above concerns, we demand that the proposed changes in the category of spousal sponsorships under the Immigration and Refugee
Protection act be immediately dismissed.

Sincerely,
Name of your organization.

New Immigration Sponsorship Conditions Would Jeopardize Women’s Safety

Mar 30, 2011 | Battered Women's Support Services, Media Advisory

MEDIA ADVISORY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New Immigration Sponsorship Conditions Would Jeopardize Women’s Safety

Anti Violence Advocates Address New Rules of Engagement for Immigrants

March 30, 2011, Vancouver, BC – In a move that will hurt women in violent relationships, Canada’s federal government has quietly proposed new engagement rules for marriages involving Immigrants.  Under the proposal, a spouse or partner from abroad who has been in a relationship with the Canadian sponsor for two years or less would be granted only “conditional permanent residence” or risk having their permanent status revoked.   In turn, this could lead to their removal from Canada.

At Battered Women’s Support Services, 48% of women who access our services are recent Immigrants and the newly proposed sponsorship obligations and conditions would further jeopardize their safety. We anticipate this having devastating implications for women who have been sponsored by their abusive partner. The Canadian government will, by policy, be forcing women to stay in abusive relationships to experience emotional and physical damage or risk being in violation of the conditional permanent residence status with potential removal from Canada which could further complicate access to safety and security.

“Placing women on conditional permanent resident status exacerbates their already vulnerable situation.  Not only are they at risk for abuse due to their status as women in a culture in which violence against women is relatively common, but also to their position as conditional permanent residents.” Said Darla Tomeldan, BWSS Legal Advocate “Threats of deportation, fear for her own safety, fears of bureaucratic entanglement, language barriers, poverty, and lack of privacy due to extended family shared dwellings, community pressure, social consequences, no access to legal and social services can impede a battered woman from seeking help.”

The Canadian Press reported that “the federal notice says that given concerns about violent relationships, a process for allowing bona fide spouses and partners in such situations to come forward without facing enforcement action”.  Though this measure will seemingly have the most profound impact on women dealing with violence; this provision appears to be an afterthought.

“Assessing violence and abuse in relationships can not be taken lightly, said Rose Elena Arteaga, BWSS Manager, Direct Services and Programs, “there must  to be clarity around evidentiary requirements, definition of the types of abuse, training for immigration officers on violence against women, legal services and social services for abused women on conditional permanent resident status.”

Without firm figures defining the extent of marriage fraud, this measure seems to be manufacturing a crisis for which women who are dealing with violence will ultimately pay the price.

Media

Darla Tomeldan, Legal Advocate information@bwss.org

Rosa Elena Arteaga, Manager, Direct Services & Programs 778-996-5993

BWSS Website: www.bwss.org

The Canadian Press Article: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/breakingnews/new-rules-of-engagement-proposed-for-marriages-involving-immigrants-118807564.html

The Canadian Government is receiving feedback on this proposal until Monday, April 25th 2011.

Send your feedback to Justine Akman, Director,
Social Policy and Programs, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, 365
Laurier Avenue W, 8th Floor, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1, 613-941-9022
(telephone), 613-941-9014 (fax), justine.akman@cic.gc.ca (email)

Women Respond to Comments by Reverend Ric Matthews of First United Church; Reiterate Calls for 24-hour Women’s Shelter and Safe Housing in DTES

Mar 1, 2011 | Battered Women's Support Services, Media Advisory

For immediate release

Women Respond to Comments by Reverend Ric Matthews of First United Church; Reiterate Calls for 24-hour Women’s Shelter and Safe Housing in DTES

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/video/press-conference-women-respond-sexual-assault-dtes-shelter/6484

http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/newsrelease/6390)

March 1, 2011 – Vancouver, BC: A coalition of women and women’s organizations are outraged by First United Church Revered Ric Matthew’s comments in the Vancouver Province regarding the sexual assaults of women at the First United shelter located in the Downtown Eastside. Matthew is quoted as saying “Some women put themselves at risk because of the way they dress or undress or move around the building, they draw attention to themselves.” (source: http://is.gd/26y1QG)

According to Elaine Durocher, long-time DTES resident and member of the DTES Power of Women Group: “Those who experience sexual assault are not the ones at fault. Instead of taking sexual assaults against women seriously, a comment like Matthew’s stigmatizes women and sends an unacceptable message that they are to blame for assaults committed against them. This is part of a pattern of increasing attacks on women and women’s bodies across the country.”

In Manitoba, women and Aboriginal organizations have been appalled at Judge Dewar’s comments about a young Aboriginal rape survivor’s attire and sexuality. In January a complaint was filed by Osgoode Law School against a Toronto Police Service officer Constable Michael Sanguinetti who suggested that “women can avoid sexual assault by not dressing like a slut”.

Over the past several weeks, a coalition of women’s organization has been calling for a 24 hours drop-in space and shelter for women in the Downtown Eastside. They are dismayed at the lack of response by all levels of government. “BC Housing and the City of Vancouver are responsible to ensure that safe services are equally available to women in this community. Women should not have to choose between the indignity of homelessness and violence within publicly funded institutions” states Alice Kendall, Coordinator of the Downtown Eastside Womens’ Centre.

Beatrice Starr, an Indigenous woman who stayed at the First United Church Shelter for over 8 months says “All of us are someone’s mother or someone’s daughter and deserve to be treated with respect. Warehousing hundreds of people in a shelter is unacceptable; it is like residential schools. Also, increasing police presence in the shelters only makes the problem worse because mistrust of the police runs deep. Instead, all Downtown Eastside residents should have adequate and safe housing so that shelters are in fact an emergency last resort.”

“For decades women went missing and were murdered and people were silent.

Now we have knowledge of women being sexually assaulted and are we going to do nothing? Women have a right to safety – this includes more beds for women in shelters, a 24-hours women’s shelter, a couples shelter, and housing for all women and children,” states Kate Gibson of WISH Society.

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Alice Kendall Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre 604-681-8480 Ext 223

Kate Gibson WISH Drop-In Centre 604-669-9474

Harsha Walia (to arrange interviews with DTES Power of Women Group):

778-885-0040

Angela Marie MacDougall Battered Women’s Support Services