Thank you, Mr. Chair.
The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, or IRPA, provides that refugee protection may be granted in cases where a penalty for desertion is not legally sanctioned or is imposed in disregard of accepted international standards. The U.S. military's uniform code of military justice regulations, for example, recognizes the validity of conscientious objection, offers alternatives and protections to objectors, including hearing and appeal rights, and objectors are usually transferred to noncombat duty. Their punishment, should their claims be denied, is overwhelmingly administrative. It is my understanding that most, almost 95%, receive administrative punishment and less than honourable discharges from their voluntary military service. I also understand that most haven't even been court martialed.
I think it's clear that the U.S. military policy on desertion is fair, it follows due process, and, frankly, I think it is generous, given that most deserters are simply kicked out of the military. Have the courts and the IRB provided an opinion as to whether the United States military, in its desertion policies, follows accepted international standards and due process of law? Have they determined that the protections in the U.S. are fair and that these deserters should have taken advantage of them?