Dr. Shauna Labman Contributes to Senate Committee Report on the Global Forced Displacement Crisis

Wed. Dec. 11, 2024

Dr. Shauna Labman was quoted in a report recently released by the Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, “Ripped from Home: The Global Crisis of Forced Displacement.”

The report states that “global forced displacement is a crisis at a scale without precedent since the end of the Second World War. Conflicts in Sudan, Ukraine and Gaza are among the most pressing emergencies currently driving global displacement. At the same time, tens of millions of refugees have been in camps or other protracted situations for more than 20 years, with no end in sight.”

The report offers recommendations to the Government of Canada based on the testimony heard by the committee between October 2023 and June 2024. During this time, the committee heard from 42 witnesses during eight public meetings and received written statements from a range of experts and stakeholders.

In April 2024, Dr. Labman testified before the committee on the topic of global forced migration. In her testimony, Dr. Labman highlighted the need for complementary government resettlement and private sponsorships centered on additionality:

“Government resettlement referrals come primarily from the UN and are of Convention refugees prioritized for resettlement. Sponsorship may fall within these priorities but also expands admissions beyond the Convention refugees to a broader category of humanitarian protected persons.”

While she acknowledged the failures of the current refugee system, Dr. Labman also reminded the committee of Canada’s legal obligation to protect those in need of protection based on the principle of nonrefoulement and Canada’s responsibilities under the 1951 Refugee Convention. The challenge with resettlement programs is, as she warned, that “discretion can absolutely open more doors, but it can just as easily close doors.”