(OTTAWA) The federal immigration department has updated its anti-racism strategy following criticism during the Ukraine refugee crisis, but groups representing claimants and refugees say it’s unclear what will change for people who depend on the system.
Posted at 4:22 p.m.
The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) document released this week says the department needs to be more open-minded and self-critical in response to criticisms like those it has received over the how the government has treated refugees from Ukraine this year compared to Afghans fleeing the Taliban in 2021.
According to the strategy document, there has been little consultation with groups outside government on this version of the strategy, and there are plans to do more in 2023.
Canadian Council for Refugees executive director Janet Dench, who was consulted, says the focus this time seems to be on racism in the workplace.
While these efforts are important, she said, there are other issues the department must also address, such as disparities in asylum processing times.
The strategy sets a goal to better understand systemic racism and bias embedded in the way the ministry delivers services as well as to become more transparent by releasing more data to researchers and the public.