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FCJ Refugee CENTRE. walking with uprooted people. Learning Through Law: A legal information training for ELL teachers across Ontario. Presented by the FCJ Refugee Centre. Introduction. What place (if any) does legal education have in an ELL classroom? - PowerPoint PPT Presentation
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FCJ Refugee CENTRE
walking with uprooted people
LEARNING THROUGH LAW: A LEGAL INFORMATION
TRAINING FOR ELL TEACHERS ACROSS ONTARIO
Presented by the FCJ Refugee Centre
FCJ Refugee Centre
INTRODUCTION
• What place (if any) does legal education have in an ELL classroom?
• What legal issues have come up in your experience working with English language learners? How were these issues addressed?
FCJ Refugee Centre
THE BENEFITS OF PUBLIC LEGAL EDUCATION (PLE)
• Builds valuable cross-sectoral partnerships
• Encourages applicable language development
• Raises awareness of current legislative and policy changes that are impacting ELL students
• Promotes autonomy for different precarious migrant populations
• Reduces precarity and risk
FCJ Refugee Centre
CHALLENGES TO PROMOTING PLE IN THE ESL CLASSROOM
• Navigating complicated legal processes
• Introducing students to foreign and intrusive systems without proper support measures
• Accountability, or perceived accountability of schools
• Lack of Anti-Oppression
• Potential to de-emphasize self-determination
Remember… your role isn’t to give legal advice!
FCJ Refugee Centre
KEY AREAS OF SUPPORT IDENTIFIED BY STUDENTS AND TORONTO ELL PROFESSIONALS:
1. Housing: How do I break a lease? What are my rights in a homestay?
2. Employment: What do I need to work? What are my rights as an employee in Canada?
3. Health: What access to healthcare do I have? What do I need to know in an emergency?
FCJ Refugee Centre
KEY AREAS OF SUPPORT IDENTIFIED BY STUDENTS AND TORONTO ELL PROFESSIONALS:
4. Immigration: How can I stay here longer? How can I stay here permanently?
5. Criminal law: If I’m stopped by the police, do I need to show my ID? What are the implications for me of a criminal charge?
6. Other areas of law: How do I break a gym contract? What do I do if my passport is stolen? How do I fight a parking ticket?
FCJ Refugee Centre
HOUSING AND TENANCY
Common Issues
A combination of a lack of awareness of Canadian housing procedures and widespread discrimination in the housing market puts many ELL students in precarious situations.
Resources
• Tenant’s Hotline (416)921-9494
• The tenant survival manual www.torontotenants.org
• Community Legal Education Ontario
www.cleo.org
FCJ Refugee Centre
LABOURCommon Issues
The level of difficulty and risk that ELL students face when accessing employment often depends on their immigration status; regardless, it is important for students to be informed of their rights and mechanisms for complaint and protection
Resources
• The Worker’s Action Centre
(416)531-0778
www.workersactioncentre.org
• FCJ Refugee Centre
(416)469-9754
www.fcjrefugeecentre.org
• Community Legal Education Ontario
www.cleo.orgFCJ Refugee Centre
HEALTHCommon Issues
Recent policy changes have made it increasingly difficult for certain migrant populations to access the healthcare they need; reduced access to healthcare impacts many other aspects of our students’ well-being
Resources
• Health for All
• Clinics for Uninsured:
Jane St. 416-760-2815
Markham Rd. 416-264-4446
FCJ Refugee Centre
• Community Health Centres
FCJ Refugee Centre
AVENUES TO PERMANENCY
Options
• Skilled worker class
• Temporary foreign workers
• Visitors
• Students
• Refugees
• Sponsorship
• Humanitarian and Compassionate applications
• Provincial Nominee
Resources
• CIC website
• FCJ Refugee Centre orientation sessions
• CLEO
• CCR
FCJ Refugee Centre
AVENUES TO PERMANENCY
Recent changes have taken place to Canadian immigration and refugee policies that may impact certain groups of students, including:
• Family class
• Economic class
• Provincial nominee
• Refugees
FCJ Refugee Centre
IF THE AUTHORITIES DETAIN
Common Issue
• Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and any Police officer can intercept, detain and/or arrest non-status “foreign nationals” wherever they find them, with or without a warrant of arrest.
Remember
Phone a friend or relativeThe Refugee Law Office(416) 977-8111TRAC(416) 401 8537
FCJ Refugee Centre
PERMANENT RESIDENTS AND CRIMINAL ADMISSIBILITY
Bill C-43
“The faster removal of foreign criminals act…”
Under new rules permanent residents will be deported to their country of origin without access to any appeal if they are sentenced in Canada to prison for 6 months or more for a crime, or commit certain crimes abroad, no matter what sentence received…
What you can do…
Encourage permanent residents to apply for citizenship as soon as they are eligible, for themselves and their children. Citizens cannot be deported.
FCJ Refugee Centre
PERMANENT RESIDENTS AND CRIMINAL ADMISSIBILITY
Examples of affected persons:
A permanent resident is convicted of a drug related offence and sentenced to one year imprisonment under the new mandatory minimum sentence rules. Since the sentence is more than six months, this person faces deportation without any opportunity to appeal the decision…
A 19-year-old permanent resident uses a fake ID to try to get into a bar in the United States. She admits this to a Canadian immigration officer. Using a false document is a crime punishable in Canada by up to 10 years imprisonment – she is therefore inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality. Even though she was not charged or convicted in the US, she could face deportation from Canada without any opportunity to appeal the decision.
FCJ Refugee Centre
SOURCES FOR INFORMATION
Common Issues
Student may seek legal information from a variety of sources including: lawyers, legal clinics, immigration consultants and community organizations
Resources
• CIC
• CCR
• CARL
• CLEO
• FCJ Refugee Centre orientation sessions
• Some lawyers do orientation free of charge (e.g. Adela Crossley)
FCJ Refugee Centre
SUMMARY
How can we support students and safely and appropriately promote legal rights?
• Recognize our role as “trusted intermediaries” and commit to working in an anti-racist, anti-oppressive environment (ARAO)
• Prioritize self-determination and autonomy when promoting PLE
• Connect with wider community and resources
• Work toward the development of promising practices
• Develop and use materials in the classroom that raise visibility of legal issues
FCJ Refugee Centre
THANK-YOU!
For further information or to book further workshops
for your school, please contact: Carolina Teves at
(416)469-9754 x 226