• Following are a number of scenarios. Have students complete one of the scenarios, writing it as a story but including as much factual information as possible. Students should refer to newspaper reports, articles, stories and other documents that may be available.

  1. Your name is Erica and you are 12 years old. You come from a family of Muslims living in Sarajevo. As a result of armed conflict, you have been separated from your parents, brothers and sisters. You were cut off from your home during an attack. A United Nations peacekeeping patrol found you and brought you to shelter...

  2. Your name is Liban and you are 15 years old. You come from a small village in Ethiopia. Lately, you've been wandering from village to village in search of water and food. There has been a terrible drought and the crops have failed. Your parents stayed behind to look after your younger brothers and sisters. Everybody is hungry and thirsty. Many have died. You promised to help your family and come back with something for them...

  3. Your name is Huang and you are 11 years old. You and your parents left Vietnam in a leaky boat with 25 other families. The boat ran out of fuel and drifted for days. There was little water to drink and barely any food to eat. The sun was very hot. After awhile, a patrol boat came by and towed the refugees to shore. The families were put in an internment camp with thousands of others. Huang's father talks of the day when they can be free to live a better life in North America. Meanwhile, Huang's mother is seriously ill and there is no medicine to give her...

Who Decides Who Can Stay?

• How do refugees get into Canada? Who decides whether they can stay or if they must go? The legal terms and definitions are contained within the Immigration Act and the Immigration Regulations, 1978. The United Nations has defined the term, "Convention refugee" which relates to the UN Convention dealing with the Status of Refugees and the Protocol and has been incorporated into the Immigration Act: "Convention refugee means any person who, by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion, a) is outside the country of his nationality and is unable, or by reason of that fear is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country or, b) not having a country of nationality, is outside the country of his former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of that fear is unwilling to return to that country." The system that has been set up to determine who fits the criteria is known as The Refugee Status Determination System and is handled by the Immigration and Refugee Board. This system has been designed to meet Canada's obligations under the Geneva Convention and conforms to the requirements of The Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Thus, any person so recognized has their rights protected under Canadian law.

  On April 4, 1985, the Supreme Court of Canada handed down a ruling in a landmark refugee case that has become known as the Singh Decision. In that case, seven Sikhs from India claimed refugee status that was subsequently denied. They appealed the decision and in 1984, the Canadian Council of Churches intervened and argued on the refugees' behalf before the Supreme Court. The Court ruled that the section 7 of the Charter ("security of person" clause) applied to all persons physically present in Canada as opposed to legal residents only as claimed by the Immigration Department.

  Have students research this remarkable case and write a one-act play based on their findings. This will require some knowledge of the Supreme Court, legal protocols and the Immigration Act to start. But students should concentrate on the human elements and the drama inherent in the decision and the impact of the Court's ruling. Have students divide up the roles and responsibilities: playwright, actors, directors, props, lighting, sets, etc. Have students rehearse the play, then perform it for the class. Invite other classes and members of the community to attend.

Timeline

• Essentially, Canada is a country made up of refugees who fled their homelands for any number of reasons with exception of native peoples. For some, it was to escape religious or ethnic persecution. For others, it was a flight from poverty or violence. For a number, it was simply the desire for a better life. Over time there have been waves of refugees coming to this country for reasons usually related to global events such as war or famine.
• Starting from the year 1750, create a timeline that clearly marks the significant waves of refugee flight to Canada.
• Write a brief description of each period, who the refugees were and their reasons for leaving their homelands and coming to Canada.
• What did Canada represent to them? What does Canada represent to refugees seeking solace and asylum here today? Is it the same or something different?