Docket: IMM-7879-14
Citation:
2015 FC 1022
Ottawa, Ontario, August 27, 2015
PRESENT: The
Honourable Mr. Justice Southcott
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BETWEEN:
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C.D.
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Applicant
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and
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THE MINISTER OF
CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION
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Respondent
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JUDGMENT AND REASONS
[1]
This is an application for judicial review of a
decision of the Refugee Protection Division [RPD] of the Immigration and
Refugee Board made October 29, 2014 wherein it was determined that the
Applicant is not a Convention Refugee nor a person in need of protection under
section 96 and 97 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, SC
2001, c 27 [IRPA].
[2]
The Applicant seeks that the Court set aside the
decision of the RPD and order this matter referred back for redetermination by
a different member of the RPD.
[3]
For the reasons that follow, this application is
allowed.
I.
Background
[4]
This proceeding is subject to a Confidentiality
Order applicable to any information that could serve to disclose the identity
of the Applicant or any of his family or associates, including their names,
ages, or places of birth. As such, these Reasons will refer only to background
facts that are necessary for purposes of the analysis herein and will not
disclose information of the sort that is the subject of the Confidentiality
Order. Counsel for both parties confirmed at the hearing of this application
that this represents in this particular case an appropriate method of
addressing confidentiality concerns in the Court’s Judgment and Reasons. This
will eliminate in this case the need for issuance of separate Confidential
Reasons and Public Reasons.
[5]
The Applicant is a citizen of Sri Lanka. He is
of Tamil ethnicity and from the north of the country.
[6]
He alleges that in February 2007, the Liberation
Tamil Tigers of Eelam [LTTE] captured and forced him to do labour work for them
including construction and loading. In June 2007, the Applicant was injured
while working and taken to the hospital where he underwent surgery. It is
alleged that this injury resulted in a permanent, visible disability. In September
2009, the Applicant escaped from the hospital and went back to his home.
[7]
During the following years, he was displaced a
number of times due to fighting between the Sri Lankan Army [Army] and the
LTTE. In May 2009, the Army captured the area in which the Applicant was
residing. He was interned at a school and later, after receiving an Identity
Card from the International Committee of the Red Cross [ICRC], he was
transported to another school and housed in a camp. While at the camp, the
Applicant was questioned by the Army and the Criminal Investigation Department
[CID]. After eleven months of interrogation, he was released. He stated before
the RPD that he was told the ICRC was pressuring the Army to release prisoners.
[8]
On April 22, 2010, in fear that he might be
kidnapped, the Applicant travelled to Colombo then to Thailand. He boarded the MV
Sun Sea and arrived in Canada on August 13, 2010, following which he
claimed refugee status. The Applicant’s claim was rejected on November 4, 2014.
II.
RPD Decision
[9]
In conducting its analysis, described in more
detail below, the RPD considered the Applicant’s credibility, relevant country
conditions and his association with the MV Sun Sea.
A.
Credibility
[10]
The RPD acknowledged the difficulties faced by
the Applicant in establishing his claim including cultural factors and stress
during his eight successive interviews between August 25, 2010 and June 5,
2012. However, while allowing for certain latitude in the Applicant’s
statements as a result, the RPD nonetheless questioned his credibility. The
interviews were held over a period of close to two years, which the RPD
considered to allow any initial fear or trepidation that may have been
experienced by the Applicant to dissipate. The RPD found that there were strong
indications of inconsistency in his statements as to when he was held by the
LTTE and his time at camp, where he was investigated.
[11]
Specifically, the RPD noted that the Applicant’s
earlier evidence indicated that he was released by the Army because there was no
information to support that he was a member of the LTTE, but that his evidence
before the RPD evolved to suggest that he was released due to political
pressure applied by the ICRC. The RPD found this evolution was intended to
support his argument that he is at risk because Sri Lankan authorities would
perceive him to be associated with the LTTE. Although the Applicant had
previously not mentioned the ICRC, he amended his Personal Information Form
[PIF] provided in support of his refugee claim to include the ICRC and their
impact on his release. He stated that he had previously wanted to protect the
identity of the individual who had provided him this information. The RPD found
that this explanation made little sense as there was no way to identify this individual
through the Applicant’s testimony.
[12]
The RPD found on a balance of probabilities that
the Applicant failed to act as a credible witness in his quest for refugee
protection.
B.
Basis of Claim
[13]
The RPD found that the documentary evidence
painted a rather confusing picture as to who is at risk and why in Sri Lanka.
The RPD preferred the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR]
documentation because it is internationally recognized and supported by the
United Nations. Relying on the July 5, 2010 Eligibility Guidelines for
Assessing the International Protection Needs of Asylum Seekers from Sri Lanka
and subsequent updates [UNHCR Guidelines], the RPD recognized the potential
risk profiles including those suspected of certain links with the LTTE and the
categories of persons likely to be suspected of having such links.
[14]
The RPD found that both the Army and the CID
questioned the Applicant extensively during an eleven-month period. If there
were any concerns on these occasions about an association with the LTTE, he
would have continued to be detained along with other LTTE combatants, perhaps
imprisoned and certainly not allowed to leave the country. In his oral
testimony before the RPD, he denied any association with the LTTE beyond having
been captured for a four-month period. In reviewing the profiles provided by
the UNHCR Guidelines, the RPD found that none of the listed criteria applied to
the Applicant, and therefore there was little risk that he would be persecuted
on this basis upon his return. The RPD also considered that the UNHCR is
assisting Tamil refugees who wish to return to Sri Lanka.
C.
Failed Asylum Seekers
[15]
The RPD noted that recent fact-finding missions
in Sri Lanka had examined in detail the issue of failed asylum seekers returned
under voluntary and enforced removal programs and their successful
implementation.
[16]
The RPD also cited sources which stated that Sri
Lanka is not safe for deported asylum seekers, especially those connected to
the Tamil Tigers or who left the country illegally. However, the RPD noted that
the Applicant did not fall into those categories.
[17]
In addition to his release from camp, the RPD
also noted that the Applicant did not report any ongoing interest in his
whereabouts expressed by any authorities following his departure from Sri
Lanka. If the Applicant was a person of interest, he would have been identified
as such by the CID and placed on an alert list and subjected to interrogation.
The documentary evidence indicated that, if the authorities had doubts about his
identity, the Applicant would have been sent for “rehabilitation”.
[18]
Similarly, the RPD noted that, following his
arrival in Canada, the Applicant was identified by CBSA officials as having a
possible association with the LTTE, but the Canadian authorities found no
connection other than his four-month capture. The RPD found that, if he were to
be questioned upon return to Sri Lanka, there was little basis to arrive at any
other conclusion beyond the story provided by the Applicant, that he had been
forced to perform labour for the LTTE over a four-month period in 2007. The RPD
found that, given the increased sophistication of records of past arrests and
detention kept by the Sri Lankan authorities, should the Applicant’s history be
consulted, it would reveal the previous investigation and indicate that he was
released.
[19]
The RPD did not dispute that there was publicity
around the arrival of the MV Sun Sea. However, it was clear that the Sri
Lankan authorities did not believe that all or even most of the passengers
aboard the ship were connected with the LTTE.
[20]
The RPD also considered the updated US
Department of State Country Reports on Human Rights Practises for 2013 [US
DOS], which provides details on the recent activities of the Eelam People’s
Democratic Party [EPDP] and their violent tactics. The RPD considered the
information referenced and found that the number of disappearances had
decreased from previous years. It appeared that there was a focus on specific
individuals such as businessman and political activists. The document also
indicates that the authorities continued to release rehabilitated LTTE
combatants from detention and that only “hardcore”
combatants remained in detention.
[21]
The RPD accordingly found, on the balance of
probabilities, that the Applicant was not a person perceived to have links to
the LTTE by Sri Lankan authorities and that he did not have good grounds to
fear persecution as a failed asylum seeker were he to return to Sri Lanka.
D.
Sur Place Claim
[22]
The RPD found that no credible evidence was
adduced that the Sri Lankan government suspected individuals as having links to
the LTTE by virtue of having been smuggled to Canada aboard a ship owned and
operated by the LTTE. It reviewed a series of Federal Court decisions that do
not support the argument that, simply by virtue of travelling on the MV Sun
Sea or Ocean Lady, an individual becomes a refugee sur place.
Where the Court has found a valid claim, it is due to a combination of factors,
only one of which is having been on one of these ships.
[23]
Finally, the RPD cited case law and documents
relevant to economic migrants being exploited by the LTTE, before concluding
that the Sri Lankan government would not perceive the Applicant to be a member
or supporter of the LTTE simply on the basis of his travel on the MV Sun Sea,
given his alleged history in Sri Lanka before coming to Canada.
E.
Generalized Risk
[24]
The Applicant alleged before the RPD that he
feared he will be at risk from paramilitary groups extorting money. He further
stated that because he has injuries, they would accuse him of being with the
LTTE. When asked why he specifically would be asked for money, the Applicant
stated that he did not know. The RPD concluded that the Applicant did not
present persuasive evidence that these groups would personally target him.
[25]
Documentary evidence indicated that there is a
common problem of extortion of wealthy people or those perceived to be wealthy,
including returnees from Western countries, by rogue elements of the government
security forces and paramilitaries, particularly the EPDP, taking advantage of
the post-civil war conditions, as each group attempts to consolidate its
revenue sources. Citing applicable case law, the RPD noted that fear of being
extorted by criminal elements did not provide the claimant with a link to one
of the Convention grounds, as it is the same risk to which that the general
public is subject. The RPD found that the Applicant would not face an extortion
risk personally, but as a result of a generalized risk faced by members of his
community.
III.
Issues
[26]
The Applicant submits the following issues for
the Court’s consideration:
A.
Whether the RPD erred in finding that the
Applicant’s 2009 release from the Army camp translates into a lack of
well-found fear of persecution in returning to Sri Lanka at present;
B.
Whether the RPD erred in its assessment of the
Applicant’s profile;
C.
Whether the RPD erred in its assessment of the
Applicant’s sur place claim; and,
D.
Whether the RPD erred in assessing the
Applicant’s risk from the EPDP.
[27]
Based on these arguments raised by the
Applicant, I would characterize the issue for consideration in this
application, based on the standard of review canvassed below, to be whether the
RPD’s decision is reasonable.
IV.
Standard of Review
[28]
Both parties take the position, and I concur,
that the applicable standard of review is reasonableness.
[29]
The RPD’s finding with respect to the Applicant’s
sur place claim is reviewable on a standard of reasonableness (see B198
v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2013 FC 1106 at para
24; Ganeshan v Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration), 2013 FC
841 at para 9).
[30]
With respect to the RPD’s finding of generalized
risk, and its assessments under the other issues raised by the Applicant, being
issues of mixed fact and law, the reasonableness standard is also applicable
(see Lozano Navarro v Canada (Minister of Citizenship & Immigration),
2011 FC 768).
V.
Submissions of the Parties
A.
Applicant’s Position
[31]
The Applicant is not contesting the RPD’s
credibility findings.
[32]
The Applicant submits that the RPD remained tied
to the Applicant’s release from detention as being indicative of a lack of
future persecution. The RPD was required to assess whether the Applicant could
now be perceived to be associated with the LTTE according to the UNHCR
Guidelines. The Applicant’s current profile is multifaceted and consists of
former camp detainee, visibly disfigured as a result of shelling, passenger
involvement on the ship and young male from the north. There is no evidence
that those being reintegrated into society match the Applicant’s profile.
[33]
The Applicant argues that the RPD was required
to consider whether, despite having been released from detention and having
left Sri Lanka legally, his current profile creates a suspicion of LTTE association
such that the Applicant might face persecution upon return to Sri Lanka. His
specific arguments include the following:
A.
There is no evidence that those people
identified in the fact-finding mission match the Applicant’s profile;
B.
There is no guarantee that the scars could not
raise a new suspicion in light of the totality of the profile factors;
C.
The lack of respect for the rule of law in Sri
Lanka is such that release from an Army camp six years ago could actually
trigger authorities to renew their suspicion;
D.
His voyage on the MV Sun Sea might be
enough to subject the Applicant to a high level of scrutiny;
E.
Relying on the conclusion made by the Canadian
authorities ignores the difference in human right conditions between Canada and
Sri Lanka; and,
F.
The factors related to his previous detention
are different than the current factors, which include him being a passenger on
the ship.
[34]
In addition to these specific points, the
Applicant submits that the decision is unreasonable because it fails to look at
the cumulative effect of the various factors it assessed.
[35]
With respect to the sur place claim, the
Applicant submits as follows that the RPD’s decision is unreasonable:
A.
The Applicant notes that there are media reports
that suggest connections between the MV Sun Sea passengers and the LTTE;
B.
The RPD’s reasoning that he could produce the
RPD decision to protect himself, if he was ever questioned in Sri Lanka about
LTTE connections, has been determined by the Federal Court to be unreasonable
(see Thanabalasingham v Canada (MCI), 2015 FC 397 at paras 18-19);
C.
There was evidence in the record that returned
ship passengers were detained, notwithstanding that one of them had been
cleared of LTTE activity prior to leaving Sri Lanka. This evidence was not
analyzed by the RPD; and,
D.
The RPD failed to assess whether the process the
Applicant could face upon return to Sri Lanka would represent persecution even
though he could in the end be cleared of any LTTE suspicion. Given the human
rights record of the Sri Lankan authorities generally, the evidence concerning
ill-treatment of returnees and the Applicant’s own experience of detention,
physical abuse and interrogation, failure by the RPD to assess the process is
unreasonable.
[36]
The Applicant relies on Federal Court decisions
on other refugee claimants from the MV Sun Sea and Ocean Lady,
arguing that they support his position that the RPD erred in assessing how the
Sri Lankan authorities could perceive him upon return. The Applicant refers to YS
v Canada (MCI), 2014 FC 324 [YS] and other cases that followed that
decision. In YS, Justice Russell concluded that the RPD erred in
equating a finding of being cleared of LTTE connections in the past with the
lack of a sur place claim upon return to Sri Lanka.
[37]
Finally, the Applicant argues that the risk of
persecution by the paramilitary falls within both sections 96 and 97. The
evidence establishes that the EPDP targets Tamils, and therefore there is an
element of ethnicity to the targeting. Aside from the nexus of ethnicity, the UNHCR
states that the EPDP operates with both a political and criminal focus, thereby
also revealing a political basis for the nexus. The RPD ignored the mixed
motive aspect of the section 96 claim and the relevance of the government
affiliation and ethnic targeting to the section 97 element of the claim. The
Applicant relies on Gunaratnam v Canada (MCI), 2015 FC 358, in which
Justice Russell found such errors in reviewing the RPD’s consideration of a
claim based on targeting by the EPDP.
B.
Respondent’s Position
[38]
The Respondent submits that the RPD reasonably
assessed the objective basis for the Applicant’s subjective fear. It examined
the totality of the evidence and judiciously determined that, since the
cessation of hostilities in Sri Lanka, the Applicant lacked a profile that put
him at risk. The supporting evidence revealed:
A.
The Applicant was released from camp and the Sri
Lankan government had little continuing interest in him;
B.
The Applicant denied association with the LTTE
and the Canadian government found the same;
C.
The Applicant did not fit the risk profile – he
was not a senior LTTE affiliate or a LTTE combatant; and,
D.
The fact finding missions indicate that
nationals, who left Sri Lanka legally with genuine documents, generally have
little difficulty passing through the security checks.
[39]
The Respondent also submits that the RPD
reasonably assessed the evidence before it and found that there was
insufficient evidence that returning MV Sun Sea passengers are at risk
of persecution by the Sri Lankan government, whether or not they have visible
scars. The RPD’s determination was rationally based on supporting documentary
evidence. In particular:
A.
The Respondent’s Memorandum of Argument argues
that RPD examined the treatment of returned MV Sun Sea passengers, including
B005 and B016, and determined that rumours of their mistreatment were false.
Rather, the Sri Lankan government had appropriately processed returning
criminals;
B.
The RPD examined relevant case law and
determined that the jurisprudence did not support the argument that a passenger
becomes a refugee sur place simply by virtue of travelling on the MV
Sun Ship or Ocean Lady;
C.
The RPD examined the evidence and found that the
Applicant would not be viewed as a LTTE member or associate. During his
interviews with the CBSA, he consistently stated he had no association with the
LTTE; and,
D.
The RPD examined relevant case law and
determined that the Applicant had a generalized risk of crime in relation to
extortion but not a personalized risk.
VI.
Analysis
[40]
The argument that resonates with the Court is
the position of the Applicant that the RPD erred, in its analysis of the sur
place claim, by failing to analyze the evidence in the record that
returning passengers from the MV Sun Sea were detained and in one case
tortured by Sri Lankan authorities.
[41]
Counsel for both parties devoted substantial
time in oral argument to this issue. It is not in dispute that the record
before the RPD included approximately 100 pages of documentary evidence related
to the alleged mistreatment of two Sun Sea passengers, identified as
B005 and B016. This evidence was provided by the Respondent by way of
post-hearing disclosure and includes both evidence supportive of a conclusion
of such mistreatment having occurred and evidence supportive of a conclusion
that such claims were false. I agree with the Applicant’s position that it is
not the Court’s role to consider argument on the reliability of this evidence,
but rather to address whether the RPD was obliged to give this evidence such
consideration.
[42]
The Applicant refers to the decision of Justice
Harrington in B135 et al v Canada (MCI), 2013 FC 871 [B135] , in
which the Court allowed an application for judicial review on the basis that
the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration had failed to disclose certain
information related to the experiences of B005 and B016 upon their return to
Sri Lanka. As held by Justice Harrington at paragraph 19:
[19] It seems to me that the best
predictor of the fate of those passengers of the Sun Sea, whose refugee claims
are pending, is the fate of those who were actually returned.
[43]
In her recent decision in NR v Canada (MCI),
2015 FC 425 [NR], Justice Mactavish considered B135 and efforts
by the applicant in that case to file with the RPD post-hearing evidence surrounding
the treatment of B005 and B016, described as follows at paragraphs 11-12:
[11] Counsel for N.R. also referred to
Justice Harrington’s discussion of B005’s experience in the B135 decision,
observing that although B005 had been accused of LTTE-related criminality in
Sri Lanka, the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Sri Lanka had subsequently cleared
him of all charges. Counsel noted Justice Harrington’s observation that “if
anyone would not be considered by the Sri Lankan authorities as being
associated with the LTTE, it was B005”, yet he was still detained on his
arrival in Sri Lanka: at para. 22.
[12] With her reply submissions,
counsel for N.R. also sought leave to file post-hearing evidence in the form of
two news reports. The first report described the torture and other forms of
mistreatment that B016 had endured at the hands of Sri Lankan authorities
during the year that he was in detention. This article also suggested that
B016’s death may not have been accidental. The second article discussed the
B135 decision and the fact that even though the Sri Lankan courts had cleared
B005 of all allegations of LTTE-related criminality, the Sri Lankan authorities
had nevertheless detained him on his return to Sri Lanka, and neither his
family nor his lawyer had any information regarding his whereabouts.
[44]
After concluding that it was not possible to
discern from its reasons whether the RPD had considered the applicant’s request
to admit the post-hearing evidence, Justice Mactavish held as follows at
paragraphs 20-24:
[20] If the Board did in fact admit the
post-hearing evidence, it committed a further error in assessing N.R.’s sur
place claim.
[21] As noted earlier, Justice
Harrington observed in B135 that the experiences of similarly-situated
individuals are “the best predictor” of what might happen to a claimant
returning to his country of origin. He thus found it important to have as much
information as possible about the experience of the MV Sun Sea
passengers who have returned to Sri Lanka.
[22] N.R. sought to adduce relevant
post-hearing evidence that the Sri Lankan authorities had detained the two MV
Sun Sea passengers who had returned to Sri Lanka, and had tortured at least
one of them. However, the Board never mentions the experiences of either B005
or B016 in its reasons.
[23] The respondent seeks to
distinguish N.R.’s profile from that of B005 and B016, arguing that he is not
in fact similarly-situated to these individuals and is thus not at risk in Sri
Lanka. With respect, it is not this Court’s role to make a factual
determination of this sort when sitting in review of a Board decision – that
the Board’s job.
[24] On its face, the post-hearing
evidence adduced by N.R. was probative evidence that ran directly contrary to
the Board’s central finding regarding his sur place claim. While it was
open to the Board to distinguish the profile of N.R. from that of B005 and
B016, it was not open to the Board to ignore the evidence indicating that at
least some returning Sun Sea passengers are at risk in Sri Lanka: Cepeda-Gutierrez
v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and Immigration) (1998), 157 F.T.R. 35,
at paras. 14-17, [1998] F.C.J. No. 1425 (F.C.T.D.).
[Court’s
emphasis]
[45]
My conclusion is that the same analysis must
apply in the case at hand. The Applicant makes the point that significant
components of the RPD’s analysis of the risk faced by the Applicant turn on the
Army’s past determination that he was not associated with the LTTE. As such,
the evidence of the detention of B005, even though the Sri Lankan courts had cleared
him of all allegations of LTTE-related criminality, would appear probative of
the risk faced by the Applicant. However, there is no indication in the RPD
Decision that the evidence surrounding B005 or B016 was given any consideration
by the RPD.
[46]
As noted above, the Respondent’s Memorandum of
Argument submits that the RPD examined the treatment of returned MV Sun Sea
passengers, including B005 and B016, and determined that rumours of their
mistreatment were false and that the Sri Lankan government had simply processed
returning criminals. However, in oral argument, the Respondent acknowledged
that the RPD Decision does not contain such an analysis. Instead, the
Respondent’s position on this issue is that the evidence in the record before
the RPD surrounding B005 and B016 supports such an analysis and that the RPD
was not asked by the Applicant to comment on this evidence. In advancing this
argument, the Respondent relies on the RPD’s reference in the Decision to the
post-hearing disclosure made by the Minister and the fact that counsel for the
Applicant was provided an opportunity to respond and declined.
[47]
It would have been within the RPD’s mandate to
treat this evidence as the Respondent originally argued it had done, concluding
that the rumours of mistreatment of B005 and/or B016 were false. However, it is
not possible to conclude from the Decision that it engaged in such an analysis.
Rather, it appears to have ignored this evidence which, as explained in NR, it
was not entitled to do. As in NR, this was probative evidence that ran
directly contrary to the RPD’s findings regarding the Applicant’s sur place
claim. Especially given that it based its analysis of the sur place risk
faced by the Applicant in significant measure upon the Army’s past determination
that he was not associated with the LTTE. I do not regard the fact that the
Applicant did not make post-hearing submissions on this evidence to alter the
RPD’s obligation to consider it.
[48]
While the Applicant acknowledges that the RPD is
not required to refer in its reasons to all potentially relevant evidence, I
agree with the Applicant’s position that it is also well-accepted that the more
important the evidence that is not specifically mentioned and analyzed in a
decision-maker’s reasons, the more willing a court may be to infer from the
silence that the agency made an erroneous finding of fact without regard to the
evidence (Cepeda-Gutierrez v. Canada (Minister of Citizenship and
Immigration) (1998), 157 FTR. 35, at paras. 14-17, [1998] FCJ No 1425 (FCTD)).
However, such an inference is hardly required in the case at hand given that
the RPD made express statements that there has been no evidence or report of
persons from the MV Sun Sea or Ocean Lady returned to Sri Lanka
having been subject to persecution as a result of having been smuggled by the
LTTE on board those vessels. This makes it clear that the evidence surrounding
the B005 and B016 must not have been considered.
[49]
On this basis, I find that the Decision is
unreasonable and outside the range of acceptable outcomes and that this
application for judicial review must be allowed. It is therefore unnecessary to
consider the other arguments raised by the Applicant.
[50]
The parties were consulted and neither proposed
a question for certification for appeal.
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