The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms grants rights not just to citizens, but to every person in Canada.

Canada has also taken upon itself certain important obligations in international law, including the humanitarian duty to protect refugees. Yet historically, and still today, some of these rights and duties are not fulfilled. There are laws on the books that allow for the detention of asylum seekers, and for the mandatory detention of certain groups of refugees including children. Some newcomers are denied the right to healthcare even in the face of life-threatening medical conditions. And despite years of advocacy for fairness and accountability, there is still no independent oversight body over the Canada Border Services Agency despite the Agency’s power over the lives and liberty of people entering Canada, and some problematic practices.

Our Recent Cases and Reports

View our latest work and activity.

Bill 21

Bill 21 is a law which disproportionately impacts people who are already marginalized. New Quebec laws ban Canadians working as teachers, lawyers, police officers, and more from wearing religious symbols such as crosses, hijabs, turbans and yarmulkes. This not only affects people currently working in the public sector, but also the youth who aspire to those careers.
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Bill 21

Bill 21 is a law which disproportionately impacts people who are already marginalized. New Quebec laws ban Canadians working as teachers, lawyers, police officers, and more from wearing religious symbols such as crosses, hijabs, turbans and yarmulkes. This not only affects people currently working in the public sector, but also the youth who aspire to those careers.

Nell Tousaint: Our Case in the Federal Court of Appeal

With the support of our donors, we are able to continuously fight for the rights and freedoms of immigrants and refugees coming to Canada; people like Nell Tousaint.

Nell, who had lived and worked in Canada as an irregular migrant for almost a decade, was in the process of seeking to regularize her status when she developed life-threatening health problems.

She sought access to healthcare but was denied because of her immigration status. The Federal Court agreed that her life and long-term health had been put at risk, but they held that the violation of the right to life was justified to promote compliance with immigration law, ignoring the evidence filed in the case showing that most irregular migrants, like Nell, migrate for work and not to access health care

 

We worked closely with Nell to fight for her rights as a human being. We believe that a person living in Canada, regardless of their immigration status, and in need of life-saving healthcare is entitled to it. A refusal to provide it would violate this person’s right to equality under the Charter.

Cases like Nell’s continue to be a big problem in Canada today and affect the most vulnerable in our society.

We believe that everyone should have access to their basic rights regardless of immigration or refugee status.

Our Work for Refugees and Immigrants

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CCLA Reacts to SCC Decision on Safe Third Country Agreement

June 16, 2023
TORONTO — Harini Sivalingam, Lawyer and Director of the Equality Program at the Canadian Civil Liberties…

CCLA and civil society concerned about flawed RCMP and CBSA oversight legislation

June 13, 2023
While Bill C-20 is a crucial measure to ensure greater accountability of the Canada Border…

CCLA at Supreme Court in Safe Third Countries Agreement Case

October 6, 2022
OTTAWA – The Supreme Court of Canada is hearing arguments today on the constitutionality of…

CCLA at Supreme Court over Safe Third Country Agreement

October 6, 2022
Today, the CCLA is intervening in a case before the Supreme Court of Canada concerning…

CCLA and LEAF Urge Repeal of Discriminatory Newmarket By-Law

September 1, 2022
CCLA and the Women’s Legal Education & Action Fund (LEAF) sent a letter to Newmarket’s…

Human Rights Tribunal Finds Police DNA Sweep was Discriminatory

August 23, 2022
Earlier this week the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal ruled that the Ontario Provincial Police (“OPP”)…

CCLA Pleased with Win for Access to Justice in Toussaint v Canada

August 18, 2022
CCLA has been granted leave to intervene before the Supreme Court of Canada in a…

CCLA to Appear Before Supreme Court in Safe Third Country Agreement Case

May 12, 2022
CCLA has been granted leave to intervene before the Supreme Court of Canada in a…

CCLA & NCCM file factum against Bill 21 in Quebec Court of Appeal

December 9, 2021
CCLA filed legal submissions against Bill 21 in the Quebec Court of Appeal. In this…

CCLA Remarks on Bill 21 Judgment by the Quebec Superior Court

April 20, 2021
Today is judgment day on Bill 21. A complex decision was handed down by the…

Whose Religious Symbols Can Shine???

December 21, 2020
In this season of darkness, the festivals of light bringing warmth and cheer may be…

CBSA Oversight and Ebrahim Toure

November 26, 2020
We renew our calls for the establishment of an independent, civilian-led oversight commission with a…

The Open Court Principle and the Importance of Public Access to IRB Hearings

October 27, 2020
We write on behalf of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) to express concern regarding…

2020 Quebec Superior Court

December 20, 2019
Suspending Bill 21 is an urgent matter. We were before the Quebec Court of Appeal…

Seeking to Appeal Interim Decision on Bill 21

July 23, 2019
CIVIL LIBERTIES GROUPS SEEK LEAVE TO APPEAL BILL 21 DECISION NCCM & CCLA file an…

Fighting Quebec’s Religious Symbol’s Ban – As it Unfolds

June 19, 2019
CCLA is currently challenging the discriminatory religious symbols ban, Bill 21 in Quebec alongside the…

CCLA and NCCM’s Application Regarding Quebec’s Religious Symbols Ban

June 17, 2019
Bill 21, An Act Respecting the Laicity of the State, passed in the Quebec National…

CCLA at the Supreme Court: When the Immigration Act Meets Habeas Corpus

May 10, 2019
The right to habeas corpus is a centuries-old remedy intended to protect individuals from “wrongful…

What Do Justin Trudeau and Stephen Harper Have in Common?

April 26, 2019
The federal government is trying to roll back significant protections for refugees in an underhanded…

Letter to Prime Minister Regarding Refugee Measures in Budget Bill

April 11, 2019
We are human rights and refugee-serving organizations and we strongly object to the inclusion of…

Federal Court Overturns Abdoul Abdi Deportation

July 16, 2018
CCLA’s voice was heard and recognized in the Federal Court decision released in the case…

CCLA & NCCM Successfully Obtain Renewed Stay Against Quebec’s Bill 62

June 29, 2018
The CCLA and the NCCM, two prominent civil liberties & advocacy organizations, have successfully obtained…

Free Abdoul Abdi!!! CCLA Fighting For Equality Rights In Halifax Today

June 19, 2018
Free Abdoul Abdi!! The CCLA is in court today fighting the deportation of child refugee…

CCLA Writes An Open Letter To Minister Of Immigration…

April 6, 2018
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

State Responsible to Stop Deportation and Grant Citizenship Of Abdoul Abdi

January 11, 2018
We are writing on behalf of the Canadian Civil Liberties Association with respect to Mr.…

CCLA and NCCM Launch Legal Challenge Against Quebec’s Bill 62

November 7, 2017
(Montreal – November 7, 2017) – The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) and the National…

UN Review Should Urge Canada to Reform Immigration Detention System

October 5, 2017
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association is among national and international human rights groups, led by…

Statement on Release of New U.S. Travel Restrictions

March 6, 2017
The CCLA is still seriously concerned by the potential impact on refugees and asylum seekers…

Canada Has Its Own Legacy of Racist Policies to Confront

February 21, 2017
Canadians are shocked and grieving after Sunday’s shooting at a Quebec City mosque that killed…

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

February 4, 2017
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…

CCLA calls for concrete action from Canadian government on U.S. travel ban

January 29, 2017
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) will challenge the Government of Nova Scotia’s exceptionally broad injunction limiting…