The First Summit on Statelessness in Canada
 
Wednesday, February 24, 2016

In February 2016, the Canadian Centre on Statelessness was delighted to co-host the First Summit on Statelessness in Canada, which brought together academics, students, legal practitioners, policy makers, and stateless persons in Canada’s first formal and public discussion on statelessness. With UNHCR Canada, University of Ottawa, Ontario Public Interest Research Group - Ottawa, and the Human Rights Research and Education Centre, CCS hosted over twenty speakers, four panels and one hundred participants in a day filled with enthusiasm and collaboration.
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Panels covered a broad range of topics, but also showcased the minutia of statelessness in Canada. They highlighted issues relating to international and Canadian human rights and citizenship legislation, and identified gaps in law that leave stateless people in Canada unprotected and without rights. Speakers outlined studies underway that look into data collection on statelessness in Canada, discourse surrounding legislative change that allows revocation of citizenship, the history of Canadian and British nationality legislation, and a study that aims to map the quality of life of stateless persons in Canada.
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Another panel shared views from community members who are working to challenge issues related to citizenship and statelessness. Particularly enlightening was an outline of an indigenous perspective that pointed out the concept of statelessness is “unthinkable”. Perhaps the most telling portion of the day belonged to the panel of stateless persons and their counsel who shared their experiences of being stateless in Canada, shedding light on day to day struggles in a country where statelessness is misunderstood.

Our participants were diverse, indeed. We hosted representatives from the immigration and border agencies of the Government of Canada, the Mennonite Central Committee, the Norwegian Embassy, Children’s Bridge Foundation, the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, the National Associations Active in Criminal Justice, the Global Organization of Parliamentarians against Corruption, the Ontario Centre of Excellence for Child and Youth Mental Health, and dozens of law firms, universities, immigration and settlement organisations, international and freelance human rights consultants, and students.

The summit was collaborative and enthusiastic. Participants engaged in critical discussions, and ground level perspectives provided a holistic complement to the legal and academic lens through which statelessness is so often seen. 

For a copy of the post-summit proceedings click here.