We will basing ourselves on the brief that you received. We will be providing you with only the main excerpts from it.
Thank you for receiving us here, this evening. I would simply point out that the Centre justice et foi is a social analysis centre that is part of the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuit religious community. The centre's objective is to participate in building a society based on justice by promoting active citizenship for all, and particularly we encourage the establishment of a welcoming society for newcomers.
Since 1985, through the Vivre ensemble sector under the responsibility of Louise Dionne, we have been working on issues pertaining to immigration, refugee protection and the reception and integration of newcomers.
Before discussing the details of Bill C-11, which my colleague will be dealing with, I would simply like to point out some general aspects pertaining to the context of this bill. First of all, over the past few decades, we have seen awareness and respect for rights and democracy gain significant ground, making it increasingly more intolerable to accept situations in the world where these conditions do not exist.
Hence we have seen the types of persecution defined by the Geneva Convention applying to more and more individuals, groups and regions throughout the world and an increasing number of individuals are forced to apply for asylum. This situation will not change in the years to come. Regardless of how we try to restrict, monitor or turn away people requiring protection, they will find other ways of coming. It is absolutely essential that we have a bill, a reform, an immigration act, and in particular, refugee protection, that are able to meet our challenges.
I would like to point out that this trend that we see in the bill is a repetition of many aspects and realities that we see in other North American and European countries, at least in the northern hemisphere. Well ahead of us, these countries implemented certain measures such as their visa policies, accelerated asylum review procedures, sanctions against carriers and other measures.
Now that these measures have been introduced, particularly the measure pertaining to the accelerated asylum application review procedure, which this bill deals with specifically, it seems to me that we have to look at the experience in other countries. We are already able to see that the measures covered by the bill are not effective, that illegal migration is increasing and has not been decreased by such measures. We have especially noticed that these measures have been particularly negative for human rights. The fact that Canada has based itself on these models, which have not proven to be effective, is extremely worrisome and questionable.
In the few minutes remaining, I would like to allow my colleague to present the more specific aspects of the bill.