31 January 2017 31 janvier 2017 The Honourable Ahmed D. Hussen Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship 365 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa, Ontario (K1A 1L1) L’Honorable Ahmed D. Hussen Ministre de l’Immigration, des Réfugiés et de la Citoyenneté 365, avenue Laurier Ouest Ottawa (Ontario) K1A 1L1 CC: c. c. The Right Honorable Justin Trudeau Prime Minister of Canada Le très honorable Justin Trudeau Premier ministre du Canada The Honourable Serge Cormier Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship L’Honorable Serge Cormier Secrétaire parlementaire du ministre de l'Immigration, des Réfugiés et de la Citoyenneté Re: Suspending Safe Third Country Agreement Objet : Suspension de l’Entente sur les tiers pays sûrs Dear Minister Hussen / Cher Monsieur le Ministre Hussen, We, the undersigned law professors, call on the Canadian government to immediately suspend directing back refugee claimants at the Canada-US border under the Safe Third Country Agreement. Canada's immigration legislation indicates that, in determining whether a country should be designated as "safe" for refugees, consideration must be given to the country's human rights record and to whether the country complies with the 1951 Refugee Convention and the Convention against Torture. Executive orders issued by President Trump demonstrate that the US is not "safe" for refugees. These include a ban on Syrian refugees and a bar on entry of nationals of seven mostly Muslim countries. It is also evident that administration of the executive orders through border enforcement has been chaotic, inconsistent and arbitrary. This exposes refugees to yet more risk. Additional statements issued by the President also indicate that the US is not "safe", including his call for a ban on entry for all Muslims and his suggestion that he is open to considering the use of torture. We condemn these actions and statements in the strongest possible terms. They reflect the very bigotry, xenophobia and nativist fear-mongering that the international refugee regime was designed to counteract. We also note that they are inconsistent with the 1951 Refugee Convention, the Convention Against Torture, the UN Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and many other international human rights instruments. At the same time, we applaud and are heartened by Prime Minister Trudeau's recent statement that Canada continues to welcome those fleeing persecution, torture, and war, regardless of their religion. To make good on this statement, the Canadian government must immediately stop blocking refugee claimants from crossing the border from the US into Canada. To this end, the Canadian government should exercise its right under the Safe Third Country Agreement to suspend the Agreement for up to three months, pending a review of the Agreement. Signed: Nous soussignés, professeures et professeurs de droit, demandons au gouvernement canadien de suspendre immédiatement le renvoi des demandeures et demandeurs d’asile à la frontière du Canada et des États-Unis en vertu de l’Entente sur les tiers pays sûrs. La législation canadienne sur l’immigration exige qu’en déterminant quel pays devrait être désigné « sûr » pour les personnes réfugiées, on tienne compte des antécédents du pays en matière de respect des droits de la personne et de conformité avec la Convention sur les réfugiés de 1951 et à la Convention contre la torture de 1984. Les décrets signés par le président Trump démontrent que les États-Unis ne sont pas un pays « sûr » pour les réfugiés. Ces décrets comprennent une interdiction de séjour pour les réfugiées et réfugiés syriens ainsi qu’une interdiction d’entrée imposée aux ressortissantes et ressortissants de sept pays principalement musulmans. Il est aussi évident que la mise en œuvre des décrets aux frontières s'avère chaotique, inégale et arbitraire. Cette situation expose les réfugiées et réfugiés à un niveau de risque encore plus élevé. Les déclarations supplémentaires du président, y compris son appel à une interdiction d’entrée de toutes les personnes musulmanes et ses propos en faveur de l’utilisation de la torture, démontrent également que les États-Unis ne sont pas un pays « sûr ». Nous condamnons fermement ces actions et déclarations. Elles évoquent tout ce que le régime international de protection des réfugiés combat : l’intolérance, la xénophobie et l’alarmisme nativiste. Nous soulignons aussi qu’elles vont à l’encontre de la Convention sur les réfugiés de 1951, de la Convention contre la torture de 1984, de la Déclaration universelle des droits de l’homme de l’ONU, du Pacte international relatif aux droits civils et politiques, et de plusieurs autres instruments internationaux des droits de la personne. En même temps, nous saluons et nous sommes rassurés par la déclaration récente du premier ministre Trudeau selon lequel le Canada va continuer à ouvrir ses portes aux personnes qui fuient la persécution, la torture et la guerre, et ce, peu importe leur religion. Afin de respecter cet engagement, le gouvernement canadien doit immédiatement cesser d’empêcher les demandeures et demandeurs d’asile de traverser la frontière entre les États-Unis et le Canada. Pour ce faire, le gouvernement canadien devrait exercer son droit, tel que prévu dans l’Entente, de suspendre pendant une période maximale de trois mois l’Entente sur les tiers pays sûrs, en attendant que cette dernière soit révisée. Signée par : Jennie Abell Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Sharryn Aiken Associate Professor Faculty of Law Queen's University Ryan Alford Assistant Professor Bora Laskin Faculty of Law Lakehead University Kirsten Anker Associate Professor Faculty of Law McGill University Efrat Arbel Assistant Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Idil Atak Assistant Professor Department of Criminology Ryerson University Lisa M. Austin Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Toronto Reem Bahdi Associate Professor Windsor Law Royal Society of Canada (College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists) Jane Bailey Professor University of Ottawa Faculty of Law Natasha Bakht Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Kristin Bartenstein Professor Faculty of Law Université Laval Jamie Baxter Assistant Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University David Bell Professor Faculty of Law University of New Brunswick – Fredericton Jamie Benidickson Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Benjamin L. Berger Associate Dean (Students) & Associate Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Amar Bhatia Assistant Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Adelle Blackett Professor & Canada Research Chair in Transnational Labour Law and Development Director, Labour Law & Development Research Laboratory Faculty of Law McGill University Jennifer Bond Associate Professor Faculty of Law, Common Law Section University of Ottawa Andrew Botterell Associate Professor of Law and Philosophy Western University Suzanne Bouclin Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Susan Boyd Professor Emerita Peter A. Allard Law School University of British Columbia Margaret E. Beare Professor, Law and Sociology York University Margaret Boittin Assistant Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Mariette Brennan Associate Professor Bora Laskin Faculty of Law Lakehead University Kim Brooks Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Ruth Buchanan Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Sarah Buhler Associate Professor University of Saskatchewan College of Law Karen Busby Professor of Law & Director, Centre for Human Rights Research Faculty of Law University of Manitoba Gillian Calder Associate Dean, Academic and Student Relations University of Victoria Faculty of Law Angela Cameron Associate Professor Shirley Greenberg Professor of Women in the Legal Profession Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Peter Carver Professor Faculty of Law University of Alberta Frances E. Chapman, Associate Professor Faculty of Law Lakehead University Y.Y. Brandon Chen Professeur adjoint / Assistant Professor Faculté de droit / Faculty of Law Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa Vincent Chiao Associate Professor University of Toronto, Faculty of Law Aldo Chircop Professor of Law & Canada Research Chair Marine & Environmental Law Institute Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Professor Lynda Collins Centre for Environmental Law & Global Sustainability Faculty of Law/Faculté de droit Common Law Section/Section de common law University of Ottawa/Université d’Ottawa Rebecca J. Cook Professor of Law Emerita Faculty of Law University of Toronto Brenda Cossman Professor Faculty of Law University of Toronto W. Brent Cotter Professor College of Law University of Saskatchewan Steve Coughlan, Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University François Crépeau Professor Faculty of Law McGill University Wei Cui Associate Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Bruce J Curran Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Manitoba Deborah Curran Assistant Professor Faculty of Law & School of Environmental Studies University of Victoria Robert J. Currie Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Catherine Dauvergne Dean Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Yasmin Dawood Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Toronto Armand de Mestral Emeritus professor of law Faculty of Law McGill Univesrity Manoj Dias-Abey Postdoctoral Fellow Centre for Law in the Contemporary Workplace Faculty of Law Queen’s University Mathieu Devinat Professeur titulaire Faculté de droit Université de Sherbrooke Richard Devlin Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Annette Demers Associate Dean, Law Library and Legal Research Services Faculty of Law University of Windsor Julie Desrosiers Professeure titulaire Faculté de droit Université Laval Stacy Douglas Assistant Professor of Law and Legal Studies Carleton University Jocelyn Downie University Research Professor Faculties of Law and Medicine Dalhousie University Karen Drake Assistant Professor Bora Laskin Faculty of Law Lakehead University Susan Drummond Associate Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Pearl Eliadis Lecturer Faculty of Law McGill University Anver Emon Professor and Canada Research Chair on Religion, Pluralism, and the Rule of Law Faculty of Law University of Toronto Joanna Erdman MacBain Chair in Health Law and Policy Assistant Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Mohammad Fadel Associate Professor of Law University of Toronto Faculty of Law Lisa Fainstein Associate Dean Academic, J.D. Program Faculty of Law University of Manitoba Fay Faraday Constitutional and human rights lawyer Visiting Professor, Osgoode Hall Law School Packer Chair in Social Justice, York University Cristie Ford Associate Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Craig Forcese Professor Professeur titulaire Faculty of Law Faculté de droit University of Ottawa Université d'Ottawa Evan Fox-Decent Associate Professor Faculty of Law McGill University Hadley Friedland Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Alberta Donald Galloway Professor Faculty of Law University of Victoria Shelley A.M. Gavigan Senior Scholar & Professor Emerita Osgoode Hall Law School York University Elaine Gibson Associate Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Daphne Gilbert Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Philip Girard Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Jane Matthews Glenn Emeritus Professor Faculty of Law McGill University Benjamin Goold Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Isabel Grant Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Leslie Green Professor Faculty of Law Queen’s University Colin Grey Professeur régulier Département des sciences juridiques Université du Québec à Montréal Vanessa Gruben Associate Professor Faculty of Law – Common Law Section University of Ottawa Brenda L. Gunn Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Manitoba Richard Haigh Assistant Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Douglas Harris Associate Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Nikos Harris Instructor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Douglas Hay Professor Emeritus and Senior Scholar Osgoode Hall Law School and Department of History York University Gerald Heckman Associate Professor Faculty of Law / Faculté de droit University of Manitoba / Université du Manitoba Gail Henderson Assistant Professor Faculty of Law Queen’s University France Houle Professeur titulaire Faculté de droit Université de Montréal Graham Hudson Associate Professor Undergraduate Program Director Department of Criminology Ryerson University Jula Hughes Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of New Brunswick Allan C. Hutchinson Distinguished Research Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Professor Martha Jackman Faculty of Law, Common Law Section University of Ottawa Laverne Jacobs Associate Professor & Director of Graduate Studies Co-Editor-in-Chief, Windsor Yearbook of Access to Justice Faculty of Law University of Windsor Richard Janda Associate Professor Faculty of Law McGill University Sébastien Jodoin Assistant Professor McGill University Faculty of Law Rebecca Johnson Professor Faculty of Law University of Victoria Craig E. Jones Professor Faculty of Law Thompson Rivers University Jasminka Kalajdzic Associate Dean Faculty of Law University of Windsor Charis Kamphuis Assistant Professor Faculty of Law Thompson Rivers University Joshua Karton Associate Professor Faculty of Law Queen's University Ariel Katz Associate Professor Innovation Chair--Electronic Commerce Faculty of Law University of Toronto Asha Kaushal Assistant Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Lisa Kelly Assistant Professor Faculty of Law Queen’s University Hugh M Kindred Professor of Law Emeritus Dalhousie University W. Peter Kissick Associate Professor Queen's Law / Smith School of Business Queen's University Mohamed F. Khimji Associate Professor and David Allgood Professor in Business Law Faculty of Law Queen’s University Amar Khoday Assistant Professor Faculty of Law, Robson Hall University of Manitoba Muharem Kianieff Associate Professor University of Windsor Faculty of Law Shelley Kierstead Assistant Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Kyle Kirkup Assistant Professor Faculty of Law (Common Law Section) University of Ottawa F. Tim Knight Associate Librarian Osgoode Hall Law School York University Freya Kodar Associate Professor Associate Dean, Administration and Research Faculty of Law University of Victoria Jennifer Koshan Professor Faculty of Law University of Calgary Konstantia Koutouki Associate Professor Faculty of Law Université de Montréal Shauna Labman Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Manitoba Louis-Philippe Lampron Professeur titulaire Faculté de droit Université Laval François J Larocque Doyen par intérim Interim Dean Section de common law Common Law Section Faculté de droit Faculty of Law Université d'Ottawa University of Ottawa Sophie Lavallée Professeure titulaire Faculté de droit Université Laval Sonia Lawrence Associate Professor Graduate Program Director Director, Institute for Feminist Legal Studies Osgoode Hall Law School York University Yves Le Bouthillier Professeur titulaire Vice-doyen du programme français Faculté de droit, Section de common law Université d'Ottawa Trudo Lemmens Professor & Scholl Chair in Health Law and Policy Faculty of Law University of Toronto Hester Lessard Professor Emerita Faculty of Law University of Victoria Peter Leuprecht Professor of Public International Law Université du Québec à Montréal Matthew Lewans Associate Professor of Law University of Alberta Carol Liao Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Victoria Jamie Liew Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Mary Liston Assistant Profess Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Anna Lund Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Alberta Michael Lynk Associate Professor Faculty of Law Western University Julie Macfarlane Distinguished University Professor and Professor of Law Faculty of Law University of Windsor Constance MacIntosh Director, Dalhousie Health Law Institute Associate Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Wayne MacKay Professor of Law & Yogis and Keddy Chair in Human Rights Law Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Audrey Macklin Professor of Law and Chair in Human Rights Director, Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies University of Toronto Patrick Macklem William C. Graham Professor of Law University of Toronto Finn Makela Professeur agrégé Faculté de droit Université de Sherbrooke Michael Marin Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of New Brunswick Sarah Marsden Assistant Professor Faculty of Law Thompson Rivers University Heidi Matthews Assistant Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Hélène Mayrand Professeure adjointe Faculté de droit Université de Sherbrooke Sheila McIntyre Professor (retired 2010) Faculty of Law Common Law Section University of Ottawa Derek McKee Assistant Professor Faculty of Law Université de Sherbrooke Heather McLeod-Kilmurray Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Kent McNeil Professor Emeritus Osgoode Hall Law School York University Frédéric Mégret Associate Professor William Dawson Scholar Faculty of Law McGill University Professor Errol P. Mendes Editor-in-Chief, National Journal of Constitutional Law President, International Commission of Jurists, Canadian Section Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Naiomi W. Metallic Chancellor's Chair in Aboriginal Law and Policy Assistant Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Richard Moon Professor of Law University of Windsor Janet Mosher Associate Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Mary Jane Mossman Professor of Law Osgoode Hall Law School York University Claire Mummé Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Windsor James Muir Associate Professor Faculty of Law / Dept. of History & Classics University of Alberta Roxanne Mykitiuk Associate Professor of Law Director of the Disability Law Intensive Program Osgoode Hall Law School York University Jeffrey B. Meyers, PhD Assistant Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Delphine Nakache Law Professor School of International Development and Global Studies (SIGDS) University of Ottawa Vrinda Narain Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Academic) Faculty of Law McGill University Kim Nayyer Associate University Librarian, Law Adjunct Associate Professor, Faculty of Law University of Victoria Jennifer Nedelsky Faculty of Law and Political Science University of Toronto Anthony Niblett Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Toronto Ken Norman, Emeritus Professor of Law University of Saskatchewan Nicole O'Byrne Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of New Brunswick Shannon O'Byrne Professor of Law University of Alberta Paul Ocheje Faculty of Law University of Windsor Ubaka Ogbogu Assistant Professor Faculty of Law Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences University of Alberta Obiora Chinedu Okafor Professor & York Research Chair in International and Transnational Legal Studies Osgoode Hall Law School York University Peter C. Oliver Professor Faculty of Law, Common Law Section University of Ottawa Marion Overholt Executive Director Community Legal Aid University of Windsor Debra Parkes Chair in Feminist Legal Studies Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Dennis Pavlich Professor Faculty of Law University of British Columbia Karen Pearlston Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of New Brunswick Patricia Peppin Professor Faculty of Law Queen's University Benjamin Perrin Associate Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Lisa Philipps Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Jim Phillips Professor Faculty of Law & Dept of History University of Toronto Johanne Poirier Peter MacKell Chair on Federalism Faculty of Law McGill University Michael G Pratt Associate Professor Queen’s University Janna Promislow Associate Professor Faculty of Law Thompson Rivers University Tim Quigley Emeritus Professor of Law College of Law University of Saskatchewan Benjamin Ralston Assistant Professor College of Law University of Saskatchewan Victor V. Ramraj Professor and Chair in Asia-Pacific Legal Relations Faculty of Law University of Victoria Denise Reaume Professor Faculty of Law University of Toronto Sean Rehaag Associate Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Tim Richards Assistant Teaching Professor University of Victoria Faculty of Law Kerry Rittich Professor and Associate Dean Faculty of Law University of Toronto Kent Roach Professor & Prichard Wilson Chair in Law and Public Policy University of Toronto Faculty of Law Sanda Rodgers Professor Emerita Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Jillian Rogin Assistant Professor (effective July, 2017) Faculty of Law University of Windsor Denis Roy Professeur agrégé Faculté de droit Université de Moncton Bruce Ryder Associate Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Emily Satterthwaite Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Toronto Jennifer L. Schulz Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Manitoba Craig Scott, Professor of Law Osgoode Hall Law School York University Dayna Nadine Scott Associate Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Sara Seck Associate Professor Faculty of Law Western University Jonathan Shapiro Instructor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Jacob J. Shelley Assistant Professor Faculty of Law & School of Health Studies, Faculty of Health Sciences Western University Peter Showler Director, Refugee Forum (ret.) University of Ottawa Penelope Simons Professeure agrégée / Associate Professor Faculté de droit / Faculty of Law Section common law / Common Law Section Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa Zoë Sinel Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Western Ontario Brian Slattery Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Anneke Smit Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Windsor Gemma Smyth Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Windsor Lorne Sossin Dean Osgoode Hall Law School York University Jocelyn Stacey Assistant Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Richard Stacey Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Toronto Cassandra Steer Junior Wainwright Fellow Faculty of Law McGill University Don Stuart Professor Faculty of Law Queen's University Anna Su Assistant Professor University of Toronto Faculty of Law Kate Sutherland Associate Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Marie-Eve Sylvestre Vice-doyenne à la recherche et aux communications/ Vice-Dean, Research and Communications Section de droit civil / Civil Law Section Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa François Tanguay-Renaud Director, Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime and Security Director, Combined JD/MA Program in Law and Philosophy Osgoode Hall Law School York University David M Tanovich Professor Faculty of Law University of Windsor Myra J. Tawfik Professor of Law EPICentre Professor of IP Commercialization & Strategy University of Windsor Sophie Thériault Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Kristen Thomasen Assistant Professor in Law, Robotics & Society Faculty of Law University of Windsor Malcolm Thorburn Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Toronto Michael Trebilcock University Professor and Professor of Law Faculty of Law University of Toronto Samuel Trosow, Associate Professor Faculty of Law and Faculty of Information & Media Studies University of Western Ontario Eric Tucker Professor Osgoode Hall Law School York University Lorna A. Turnbull Professor Faculty of Law, Robson Hall University of Manitoba Vokhid Urinov Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of New Brunswick Martine Valois Professeure agrégée / Associate Professor Faculté de droit / Faculty of Law Université de Montréal Lucinda Vandervort Professor College of Law University of Saskatchewan Shauna Van Praagh Professor Faculty of Law McGill University Joao Velloso Assistant Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Christine Vézina Professeure adjointe Faculté de droit Université Laval Barbara von Tigerstrom Professor College of Law University of Saskatchewan Christopher Waters Professor Faculty of Law University of Windsor Wanda Wiegers Professor College of Law University of Saskatchewan Sara Wharton Assistant Professor University of Windsor Faculty of Law Sheila Wildeman Associate Professor Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University Cynthia Williams Osler Chair in Business Law Faculty of Law Osgoode Hall Law School York University Michelle Y. Williams Director, Indigenous Blacks & Mi'kmaq Initiative Schulich School of Law Dalhousie University David Wiseman Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of Ottawa Professor Stepan Wood York Research Chair in Environmental Law and Justice Osgoode Hall Law School York University Sujith Xavier Assistant Professor & Director of Transnational Law and Justice Network Faculty of Law University of Windsor Claire Young Professor Emerita Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Hilary Young Associate Professor Faculty of Law University of New Brunswick Margot Young Professor Peter A. Allard School of Law University of British Columbia Bruce Ziff Professor Faculty of Law University of Alberta Norman Zlotkin Adjunct Professor College of Law University of Saskatchewan