Question Period Note: Uyghurs

IRCC’s response to the persecution of Uyghur people in China.

• The Government of Canada is deeply concerned about the serious human rights violations in Xinjiang affecting Uyghurs and Turkic Muslims.

• As noted in the recently tabled 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan, the Government will begin resettling Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in 2024.

• Our first priority is the safety of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims. As such, we are unable to provide any further information about our resettlement efforts as it could put these vulnerable people at further risk.

• Canada is proud to be a global leader in refugee resettlement. Our resettlement programs are available to those most in need of protection around the world.
General
• Canada is coordinating with international partners to adopt a comprehensive approach to defending Uyghur rights, including measures to address goods made by forced labour in Xinjiang.
• On July 16, 2021, the Government of Canada announced a dedicated refugee stream for human rights defenders at risk under the Government-Assisted Resettlement program. In July 2023, we doubled the number of resettlement spaces from 250 to 500 for human rights defenders and their family members.
• Uyghur human rights defenders who have fled China and sought protection in another country may be referred for resettlement to Canada, including under the dedicated stream for human rights defenders.

• Publicly and privately, in multilateral settings as well as in bilateral dialogues, Canada has consistently called on the Chinese government to address and end the repression in Xinjiang.

• According to credible reports, the Government of China has been employing various strategies to persecute Uyghur and other Muslim groups living in Xinjiang, including mass arbitrary detentions, forced labour, torture, pervasive state surveillance, and population control.

• The Government of Canada continues to monitor the plight of Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in Xinjiang and as announced on January 12, 2021, is coordinating with international partners to adopt a comprehensive approach to defending their rights, including measures to address goods made by forced labour in Xinjiang.

• On August 31, 2022, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) released a report on the human rights situation in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. The report stated that "serious human rights violations have been committed" in Xinjiang in the context of the government's application of "counter-terrorism and counter-'extremism' strategies" and that China‘s detention of Uyghurs and other mostly Muslim ethnic groups in the region may constitute “crimes against humanity.”

• On September 1, 2022, Canada released a statement calling the release of this much-anticipated report “critical” and “an important contribution to the mounting evidence of serious, systemic human rights abuses and violations occurring in Xinjiang”.

• On October 24, 2022, Conservative Party MP Garnett Genuis moved a concurrence debate motion in the House on CIMM’s 6th Report, Supporting Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims to find safety in Canada, which calls on the Government to extend special immigration measures to Uyghurs, allow displaced Uyghurs in third countries to seek refuge in Canada, and waive the UNHCR refugee determination.

• On February 1, 2023, Private Members’ Motion M-62, sponsored by Liberal MP Sameer Zuberi, passed with unanimous support from all parties. The motion called for the Government to resettle 10,000 Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims in need of protection over two years starting in 2024. The motion also called on the Government to table in the House, within 100 sitting days following the adoption of the motion, an implementation plan and ensure Canada adds corresponding immigration levels in the refugee streams, so as not to impact other refugee populations seeking safety in Canada.

• On November 1, 2023 the Government tabled the 2024-2026 Immigration Levels Plan, setting the targets for overall admissions per immigration category. Refugee resettlement spaces for Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims under the M-62 initiative are included in this plan, under the ‘Refugees and Protected Persons’ immigration category.

Access to Existing Refugee Programs

• Under Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and Regulations, individuals fleeing persecution on the basis of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group, or are in need of protection from torture, may qualify for refugee protection.

• Uyghurs identified as refugees, and referred by UNHCR, designated referral partners, or a private sponsor to Canada, are eligible for resettlement under current refugee processing streams: Government Assisted, Privately Sponsored or Blended Visa Officer Referred.

• IRCC adheres to non-discrimination and respects the privacy of applicants, and does not systematically track information on refugees’ ethnicity or religion. Statistics on the number of Uyghur people resettled to Canada are therefore unavailable.

• The Government of Canada launched in July 2021, a dedicated refugee stream to provide safe haven to human rights defenders at risk, for a total of up to 250 persons annually, including family members. This commitment is over and above existing refugee resettlement targets. This HRD refugee resettlement stream was created in recognition of the particular risks that human rights defenders face. In July 2023, the number of spaces for human rights defenders doubled from 250 to 500.

• Persons in Canada who have a well-founded fear of persecution under the Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or a danger of torture under the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, or a risk to their life or of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment in other countries can request Canada’s protection by making an asylum claim.

• Asylum claims made in Canada are adjudicated by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB), an independent administrative tribunal, based on an individual assessment of the merits of each claim.

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