Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
The bill concerns us for several reasons. First, the establishment of a list of safe third countries creates two categories of refugees. Such a list discriminates against women, because it does not take into account their status as women. Furthermore, this would impede access to a fair and independent hearing and would not take into account the enforcement of laws in these host third countries considered to be safe where attitudes do not change as quickly as legislation.
The short timeframe before the holding of a hearing would not allow women enough time to gather the evidence they need to have a fair hearing, especially since some of them speak neither French nor English. Furthermore, some women arrive here in an absolutely disastrous psychological state and require psychological follow-up in order to undertake a de-victimization process. This short timeframe would therefore exert additional pressure on them.
In our view, the bill would promote a dehuminization of the refugee protection process and would render Canada an accomplice of sorts of countries where unfair treatment is inflicted upon women, and lesbians in particular. These countries have adopted certain laws in order to please, to some extent, the international community.
I will now give the floor to my colleague, who will talk to you about the changes that the women's centre would like to see made.