The Impacts of Missing and Mistaken Identification on the Lives of Newcomer Immigrant Refugee Youth

Strategic Alliance for the Advancement of Immigrant Children and Youth“Identification Issues” Sub-committee - Edmonton, Alberta

Canadian Council for Refugees ConsultationNovember 2010, Calgary, Alberta

ID ISSUES - Background

The Issue

At a general meeting in the fall of 2009 committee members shared personal and professional experiences around identification issues for immigrant and refugee children and youth so it was decided that a sub-committee should be formed to examine ID issues in more detail.

Look at the issue(s)It was confirmed that there are multiple issues surrounding identification which have multiple variables affecting them; leading to and from various outcomes and circumstances .

A Few of the Issues:

•Mistakes on Identification (i.e. DOB, Name)•Difficult application process for change of info•Lost ID card (permanent resident)•Missing or inability to access background documents•Family breakdown including distrust and/or power and manipulation•No support services access due to no ID•Education inaccessible•Cycle of crime and/or rejection•Hopelessness and frustration

Committee members agreed to report on findings and do research and plan a consultation with those people who may be confronted by these issues in their work. Schools, Police, Settlement Counselors, Social workers, and Governmental

and Non-governmental youth services to be invited. Those who could not attend could be interviewed individually

Consultation Participants and Contacts

• Settlement workers from varying organizations

• Teachers• Program Coordinators• School Counselors• Youth• Youth Workers• Community Leaders• Municipal Police• Social Workers

The following are just some portions of the input summarized and categorized in two areas:

1.Mistaken Information2.Lost/Missing Identification

Mistaken Information• Inaccurate birth-date (Jan1, XX, years off)• Age younger than on ID - cause serious problems (school grading,

independence, funding, other forms of ID, etc.). misguides youths sense of independence and power, exits youth from appropriate schooling too soon causing stress and pressure to begin work or be with much older students

• Age Higher than on ID – can cause issues with student loans and other age specific programs and services

• Process to correct ID long and difficult – during time of process and advocacy circumstances often deteriorate

• Efforts to correct denied – often government denies changes citing that the application was too late, but for refugees with multiple barriers and difficult circumstances keeping them from addressing it in time unrealistic

– Can lead to drop outs, loss of hope, turning to dangerous/misguided options of survival. Also ID can be rejected if XX as used or does not match the dates of other ID. Affects application for citizenship

Lost Identification

• APPLICATION PROCESS LONG AND DIFFICULT – often youth cannot complete the process due to their circumstance (poverty, homelessness, incarceration, being transient)

• DOCUMENTS NEEDED FOR APPLICATION MISSING OR INACCESSIBLE - Confirmation or Permanent Residence paper is lost/or stolen and youth and workers have no means to provide documentation for replacing ID

• PARENTS AND/OR GUARDIANS WITHHOLD OR DO NOT RESPOND TO YOUTH DEMANDS FOR DOCUMENTS Many times power struggle between family/guardians and youth seeking independence/protection/assistance puts documentation in play as a control/power piece

• POLICE APPREHEND ID IF THEY HAVE ANY REASON TO BELIEVE IT IS INCORRECT • YOUTH/SOCIAL SERVICES/PROGRAMS DENIED – often require ID to register• BANKING, SCHOOL REGISTRATION, SOCIAL ASSISTANCE, ETC. INACCESSIBLEYouth who have lost their permanent resident card are in a compromised position which can be a

cycle of rejection of services and applications. Particularly, if there is a break in their schooling (working, family crisis, pregnancy,

hospitalization, incarceration, etc.), youth cannot register for school, health services, bank accounts, provincial id, or in some cases even book a lost identification statement with police. This is all due to them not having a picture government id and the means to replace it.

Observations• Youth are at risk and risks increase with length of time without ID• Issue is complex (includes all youth not just permanent resident)• Nobody wants to take responsibility• Cultural Issues are not always acknowledged

Recommendations/Solutions?• Strategic attention• Multi-layered approach• Municipal, Provincial, National, International government

collaboration• Further consultation with youth• Using identification tools (fingerprint? …human rights?)• Expedite processes• Interagency Collaborations• Education and orientation programming• Archiving documents (photocopies?, Library?)

Developments

• Since it’s conception over a year ago, the Identification sub-committee has almost tripled in size

• It was found that some youth were able to access a program by John Howard Society to help them replace lost identification. (while this program is not currently funded, JHS does still assist clients in this process)

• Recently , the province of Alberta has started a program for homeless residents to acquire provincial registry ID with the approval of a social worker. (while this does not address ALL issues regarding permanent resident requirements, it may be of help to some immigrant and refugee youth)

• Aboriginal youth are also experiencing issues with acquiring lost treaty cards and other ID

• Experts from the University of Alberta (Metropolis and ESL Education) have found very little literature for review

Groups and Organization Participants

• Some of the groups and organizations involved in this ID issues research:

• Office of the Child and Youth Advocate• Centre for Race and Culture• City of Edmonton – Social and Recreation Services• Multicultural Health Brokers• Edmonton Police Services• Youth Criminal Justice• Edmonton Youth Emergency Shelter• BGS Enterprises• Youcan Edmonton• Edmonton Mennonite Centre for Newcomers• Catholic Social Services• John Howard Society• University of Alberta