Contact Your MP: Ask Canada to Act on US Travel Ban

The CCLA has produced a template for a script to call or write to your member of Parliament asking Canada to act regarding the recent US travel ban.

EMAIL YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

EXEMPLE DE LETTRE POUR CONTACTER VOTRE DÉPUTÉ(E) EN FRANÇAIS CI-DESSOUS. MERCI AUX BÉNÉVOLES QUI L’ONT ÉCRIT!

IN ENGLISH

Here is a sample email script to help you bring this issue forward with your MP. For more information on any of the points, see the full statement from the CCLA on each of these points here.

If you would like to submit the letter automatically via the web, please click here.

You can find your member of Parliament by entering your postal code here. 

Dear [MP NAME],

My name is [NAME] and I live in [CONSTITUENCY].

I am writing because I am deeply concerned about the recent US travel ban, including both its impact on Canadians and immigrants and refugees worldwide.

I join the Canadian Civil Liberties Association in calling on the Canadian government to take the following steps to honour its constitutional, legal and international law obligations immediately:

1. Suspend the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, which prevents asylum-seekers travelling from the US from claiming refugee status in Canada, unless they qualify for the limited exception under the agreement.
2. Put in place procedures to efficiently process applications from all asylum seekers from countries affected by the ban who are in the United States and wish to seek refuge in Canada.
3. Increase the number of refugees accepted by Canada in 2017 to accommodate individuals from countries currently affected by the U.S. ban, and in particular raise the cap recently imposed on refugees from Syria and Iraq.
4. Ensure Canadian airlines and other commercial enterprises do not collude with a foreign domestic order – and refuse boarding passes to immigrants, dual citizens, refugees and asylum seekers  ̶  that discriminates on the basis of country of origin, ethnic origin, or religious belief.
5. Ensure clear guidelines are provided by Canada and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to all consular officials to assist any Canadians from the U.S. ban-listed countries who are overseas and find themselves stranded, detained, or otherwise prevented from returning to Canada.
6. Review the impact of all information sharing agreements with the United States, including, but not limited to the Security Canada Information Sharing Act introduced by Bill C-51; the information sharing agreements pursuant to the Canada-U.S. Security Perimeter Agreement; and the particular impact of Canadian national security agencies including the Canadian Border Security Agency sharing information with U.S. agencies. Canada must ensure that innocent persons are not put at risk by information provided by Canada.
7. Review the implementation of the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITARS), which has been used on several occasions by Canadian companies to unlawfully discriminate against individuals lawfully in Canada on the basis of their country of origin or contacts to a foreign country.
8. Provide immediate assistance for any individuals who may be stranded at Canadian airports, bus and train stations as a result of the ban, including those who anticipate being denied entry on arrival to the United States and those who have been turned away by U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance.

As your constituent, I would like to be notified as soon as possible of the steps you, your office and the Canadian government are taking to protect the rights of immigrants and refugees.

Thank you,

[YOUR NAME]

[YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION, INCLUDING YOUR ADDRESS]

NOTE: For a full statement from the CCLA on each of these points, please click here.

 

EN FRANÇAIS

Vous pouvez trouver votre député-e à l’aide de votre code postal ici.

Cher [DEPUTÉ-E],

Mon nom est [NOM] et j’habite dans la circonscription de [VOTRE CIRCONSCRIPTION].

Je vous écris pour vous faire part de mes inquiétudes par rapport au récent décret américain sur l’immigration, qui porte atteinte à la fois aux Canadiens ainsi qu’aux réfugiés à l’échelle mondiale.

J’appuie les démarches de l’Association canadienne des libertés civiles qui demande au gouvernement canadien d’agir immédiatement sur les points suivants afin d’honorer ses obligations constitutionnelles, légales et de droit international:

1. Suspendre l’Entente entre le Canada et les États-Unis sur les pays tiers sûrs, qui interdit aux demandeurs d’asile en provenance des États-Unis de demander l’asile au canada, à moins qu’ils ne remplissent les conditions d’une des exceptions prévues par l’Entente.
2. Établir des mesures efficaces pour traiter le volume de demandes d’asile des demandeurs provenant de tous les pays affectés par le décret américain qui se trouvent aux États-Unis et qui souhaiteraient demander l’asile au Canada.
3. Augmenter le nombre de réfugiés acceptés par le Canada en 2017, afin d’accommoder les individus en provenance de pays affectés par le décret américain, et plus particulièrement augmenter le plafond récemment imposé sur les réfugiés en provenance de la Syrie et de l’Iraq.
4. Assurer que les compagnies aériennes et autres entreprises canadiennes ne collaborent pas avec le décret américain – en refusant d’octroyer des cartes d’embarquement aux immigrants, aux individus ayant une double nationalité, aux réfugiés ainsi qu’aux demandeurs d’asile – qui constitue de la discrimination sur la base du pays d’origine, de l’origine ethnique, ou des croyances religieuses.
5. Assurer que des consignes claires sont données par le Canada et le Ministère des affaires étrangères à tous les consulats officiels pour assister tous les Canadiens venant des pays visés par le décret américain, qui sont outremer et se retrouvent bloqués, détenus ou empêchés de retourner au Canada de toute autre façon.
6. Réviser l’impact de toute entente de partage d’information avec les États-Unis, incluant, mais ne se limitant pas à la Loi sur la communication d’information ayant trait à la sécurité du Canada introduite par le projet de loi C-51; les ententes de partage d’information conformément à l’Accord canado-américain sur la sécurité du périmètre; et l’impact particulier des agences de sécurité nationale canadiennes incluant l’Agence des services frontaliers du Canada qui partage de l’information avec les agences américaines. Le Canada doit s’assurer que les personnes innocentes ne sont pas mises en danger par l’information qu’il transmet.
7. Revoir la mise en œuvre de la Réglementation américaine sur le trafic d’armes au niveau international, qui a été utilisée à de nombreuses occasions par des compagnies canadiennes afin de discriminer illégalement contre des individus se trouvant légalement au Canada, sur la base de leur pays d’origine ou de leur lien à un pays étranger.
8. Procurer une assistance immédiate à tout individu pouvant être détenu aux aéroports, stations d’autobus et de trains canadiens en raison du décret, incluant ceux et celles qui anticipent un refus à leur arrivée aux États-Unis, ainsi que ceux et celles à qui l’entrée aurait été refusée par le service douanier américain.

L’Association canadienne des libertés civiles a justifié toutes ces demandes, ainsi que plusieurs autres que vous trouverez à l’adresse suivante:

https://ccla.org/ccla-calls-for-concrete-action-from-canadian-government-on-u-s-travel-ban/

En tant qu’électeur(trice), j’apprécierais qu’on m’informe des actions que vous, votre bureau ainsi que le gouvernement du Canada comptez prendre afin de protéger les droits des immigrants et réfugiés.

Merci de l’attention que vous porterez à ma demande,

[NOM]

 

CALL YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT

 

Here is a sample call script to help you bring this issue forward with your MP. For more information on any of the points, see the full statement from the CCLA on each of these points here.

You can find your member of Parliament by entering your postal code here.

Hello,

My name is [NAME] and I live in [CONSTITUENCY].

I am calling because I am deeply concerned about the recent US travel ban imposed on January 27, including its impact on Canadians and immigrants and refugees all over the world.

I hope you share my concern and are willing to take action.

I would like to ask if you are willing to join me, the Canadian Civil Liberties Association in calling on Canada’s government to take the following steps to honour its constitutional, legal and international law obligations immediately:

1. Suspend the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement, which prevents asylum-seekers travelling from the US from claiming refugee status in Canada, unless they qualify for the limited exception under the agreement.
2. Put in place procedures to efficiently process applications from all asylum seekers from countries affected by the ban who are in the United States and wish to seek refuge in Canada.
3. Increase the number of refugees accepted by Canada in 2017 to accommodate individuals from countries currently affected by the U.S. ban, and in particular raise the cap recently imposed on refugees from Syria and Iraq.
4. Ensure Canadian airlines and other commercial enterprises do not collude with a foreign domestic order – and refuse boarding passes to immigrants, dual citizens, refugees and asylum seekers  ̶  that discriminates on the basis of country of origin, ethnic origin, or religious belief.
5. Ensure clear guidelines are provided by Canada and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to all consular officials to assist any Canadians from the U.S. ban-listed countries who are overseas and find themselves stranded, detained, or otherwise prevented from returning to Canada.
6. Review the impact of all information sharing agreements with the United States, including, but not limited to the Security Canada Information Sharing Act introduced by Bill C-51; the information sharing agreements pursuant to the Canada-U.S. Security Perimeter Agreement; and the particular impact of Canadian national security agencies including the Canadian Border Security Agency sharing information with U.S. agencies. Canada must ensure that innocent persons are not put at risk by information provided by Canada.
7. Review the implementation of the U.S. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITARS), which has been used on several occasions by Canadian companies to unlawfully discriminate against individuals lawfully in Canada on the basis of their country of origin or contacts to a foreign country.
8. Provide immediate assistance for any individuals who may be stranded at Canadian airports, bus and train stations as a result of the ban, including those who anticipate being denied entry on arrival to the United States and those who have been turned away by U.S. Customs and Border Protection preclearance.

As your constituent, I would like to be notified as soon as possible of the steps you, your office and the Canadian government are taking to protect the rights of immigrants and refugees. Thank you.