Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (S.C. 2001, c. 27)

Assented to 2001-11-01

PART 2

REFUGEE PROTECTION

Division 1

Refugee Protection, Convention Refugees and Persons in Need of Protection

Marginal note:Conferral of refugee protection
  •  (1) Refugee protection is conferred on a person when

    • (a) the person has been determined to be a Convention refugee or a person in similar circumstances under a visa application and becomes a permanent resident under the visa or a temporary resident under a temporary resident permit for protection reasons;

    • (b) the Board determines the person to be a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection; or

    • (c) except in the case of a person described in subsection 112(3), the Minister allows an application for protection.

  • Marginal note:Protected person

    (2) A protected person is a person on whom refugee protection is conferred under subsection (1), and whose claim or application has not subsequently been deemed to be rejected under subsection 108(3), 109(3) or 114(4).

Marginal note:Convention refugee

 A Convention refugee is a 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 each of their countries of nationality and is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to avail themself of the protection of each of those countries; or

  • (b) not having a country of nationality, is outside the country of their former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of that fear, unwilling to return to that country.

Marginal note:Person in need of protection
  •  (1) A person in need of protection is a person in Canada whose removal to their country or countries of nationality or, if they do not have a country of nationality, their country of former habitual residence, would subject them personally

    • (a) to a danger, believed on substantial grounds to exist, of torture within the meaning of Article 1 of the Convention Against Torture; or

    • (b) to a risk to their life or to a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment if

      • (i) the person is unable or, because of that risk, unwilling to avail themself of the protection of that country,

      • (ii) the risk would be faced by the person in every part of that country and is not faced generally by other individuals in or from that country,

      • (iii) the risk is not inherent or incidental to lawful sanctions, unless imposed in disregard of accepted international standards, and

      • (iv) the risk is not caused by the inability of that country to provide adequate health or medical care.

  • Marginal note:Person in need of protection

    (2) A person in Canada who is a member of a class of persons prescribed by the regulations as being in need of protection is also a person in need of protection.

Marginal note:Exclusion — Refugee Convention

 A person referred to in section E or F of Article 1 of the Refugee Convention is not a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection.