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Refugee groups want Ottawa to end legal limbo for thousands living in Canada

MONTREAL (CP) - A wave of decisions last summer denying permanent residence to people from some of the world's most troubled countries has stoked fears of deportation among thousands of people living in Canada, says a coalition of refugee organizations. "People think that it is linked to something else, like maybe the moratorium will be lifted," says Rick Goldman, spokesman of The Lives on Hold Coalition.

"We have no indication that that's coming but people get afraid."

The applicants come from eight countries whose "generalized insecurity" has prompted the Canadian government to impose a moratorium on deportations to Afghanistan, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Iraq, Liberia, Rwanda and Zimbabwe.

An unusually high number of denials under humanitarian and compassionate grounds - some 22 that have been documented by the coalition in Montreal alone - demonstrates that this route is not effective for many, Goldman said.

A coalition report released Tuesday said the current system leaves people in legal limbo for up to 13 years.

The coalition wants the federal government to grant residence to about 4,000 people from the eight countries after they have been in Canada for three or more years.

"We are not asking for special treatment but once you have been here for three years and you come from a country that the Canadian government recognizes is too dangerous to send you back to, you should be allowed to move on with your life and get permanent residence," Goldman said.

Approval would be subject to an applicant not having a criminal record or posing a security risk.

A Citizenship and Immigration Department spokeswoman said most people living in Canada who seek permanent residence are ultimately successful.

"We don't see this as a huge problem because the majority of cases (involving humanitarian and compassionate grounds), are working very well to ensure that deserving cases are approved," Marina Wilson said from Ottawa.

In May, minister Monte Solberg acknowledged the difficult situations these people face. But he told the Commons that 85 per cent of applications under humanitarian grounds are approved.

Janet Dench, executive director of the Canadian Council for Refugees, said decisions are often inconsistent and discretionary.

While applicants are allowed to work, denial of residency limits access to higher education and family reunification, she said.

"We're certainly hoping that the government would address this problem," she said.

"The Liberals didn't get to it, one would have hoped that the Conservatives would see that there is a need to act."

She said it's unlikely that people living in Canada will be deported even if a country is lifted from the moratorium list.

The largest of these communities come from Congo, Zimbabwe and Haiti.

Worried Algerians demonstrated after the North African country was removed from the list in 2002. Ultimately, 93 per cent of those living in Canada were allowed to remain.

"They ended up getting permanent residence but they spent so many years of wasted life," Dench said.