Kotkova v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2004 FC 1706

                                                                                                                                   Date: 20041210

                                                                                                                        Docket: IMM-4949-04

                                                                                                                        Citation: 2004 FC 1706

BETWEEN:

                                                            RAISSA KOTKOVA

                                                                                                                                            Applicant

                                                                         - and -

                                               THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP

                                                          AND IMMIGRATION

                                                                                                                                        Respondent

                                                        REASONS FOR ORDER

PINARD J.:

[1]         This is an application for judicial review of a decision of the Refugee Protection Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board (the "Board") dated November 17, 2003, wherein the Board found the applicant not to be a Convention refugee or a "person in need of protection" as defined in sections 96 and 97 respectively of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, S.C. 2001, c. 27.

[2]         Raissa Kotkova (the applicant) is a citizen of Russia. She alleges a well-founded fear of persecution based on her Jewish religion.

[3]         In support of his opinion that the applicant is not credible and that state protection is available, the panel member expressed the following in his decision, among other things:

. . . De plus, la revendicatrice en apparence, ne semble pas Juive et elle-même a admis que ses traits physiques n'indiquent pas qu'elle est Juive. Suite à cette analyse du profil de la revendicatrice, le Tribunal a voulu savoir comment les gens pouvaient l'identifier comme Juive?

[4]         Whether it is expressed consciously or not, this kind of stereotypical consideration, entirely based on the appearance of an individual, is unfortunately such that it fosters unacceptable prejudice toward Jews and cannot be used to discredit the applicant's stated fear of being persecuted on the basis of her Jewish religion. In my view, comments such as these, under the circumstances, vitiate the whole decision at issue.

[5]         Accordingly, the application for judicial review is allowed, the decision of the Board, dated November 17, 2003, is set aside and the matter referred to a differently constituted panel for redetermination.

       JUDGE

OTTAWA, ONTARIO

December 10, 2004

                                                               FEDERAL COURT

                                                       SOLICITORS OF RECORD

DOCKET:                                                        IMM-4949-04

STYLE OF CAUSE:                                         RAISSA KOTKOVA v. THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION

PLACE OF HEARING:                                    Montréal, Quebec

DATE OF HEARING:                          November 10, 2004

REASONS FOR ORDER BY:                         PINARD J.

DATED:                                                            December 10, 2004

APPEARANCES:

Me Andrea C. Snizynsky                                   FOR THE APPLICANT

Me Andrea Shahin                                             FOR THE RESPONDENT

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Andrea C. Snizynsky                                         FOR THE APPLICANT

Montréal, Quebec

Morris Rosenberg                                              FOR THE RESPONDENT

Deputy Attorney General of Canada

Montréal, Quebec