Shaka v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2019 FC 798

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2019 FC 798

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Date: 20190611

Docket: IMM-1757-18

Citation: 2019 FC 798

Ottawa, Ontario, June 11, 2019

PRESENT: Mr. Justice Norris

BETWEEN:

BRADLEY SHAKA

Applicant

and

THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION

Respondent

JUDGMENT AND REASONS

I. OVERVIEW

[1] On August 15, 2017, the applicant and his brother presented themselves at the Cornwall, Ontario Port of Entry. Both are citizens of Burundi. Both had been in the United States on student visas. Both said they were now seeking refugee protection in Canada. Their grounds for seeking protection were essentially the same. From that point on, however, their respective claims for protection took very different paths.

[2] The applicant’s brother’s claim was referred to the Refugee Protection Division [RPD] of the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada [IRB]. Even though he was entering Canada from the United States at a Point of Entry, he was not ineligible to have his claim referred to the RPD under section 101(1)(e) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, SC 2001, c 27 [IRPA]. This was because he had a qualifying family member in Canada – namely, his mother, who had arrived in Canada separately from Rwanda on July 8, 2017, and made a refugee claim (see s 159.5(c) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, SOR/2002-227 [IRPR]). The applicant’s brother was served with a conditional removal order but it would come into force only if his claim was not accepted by the RPD (see IRPA, s 49(2)). He was permitted to enter Canada. The applicant’s brother’s and mother’s refugee claims were joined and heard together by the RPD. On October 4, 2017, the RPD accepted their claims and granted them refugee protection. (The pertinent statutory and regulatory provisions are set out in the Annex to these reasons.)

[3] The applicant’s claim, on the other hand, was found to be ineligible for referral to the RPD under section 101(1)(c) of the IRPA. This was because previously he had made a claim for refugee protection that was determined to be ineligible to be referred to the RPD. On January 16, 2016, the applicant had presented himself at the St-Amand/Philipsburg, Quebec Port of Entry and made a refugee claim. His claim was found to be ineligible for referral to the RPD under section 101(1)(e) of the IRPA because the applicant was coming from the United States and, at the time, he did not have a qualifying family member in Canada. As a result of this earlier determination, the applicant’s 2017 claim, unlike his brother’s, would not be considered by the RPD. As well, again unlike his brother’s, the removal order served on the applicant was not a conditional one. However, since under section 49(2)(b) of the IRPA the order served on him did not come into force until seven days later (i.e. not until August 22, 2017), the applicant was permitted to enter Canada along with his brother. (There is an immaterial discrepancy in the record as to whether the order was served on the applicant on August 15^th or 16^th.)

[4] On August 17, 2017, the applicant was served with notification under section 160 of the IRPR of his right to apply for a Pre-Removal Risk Assessment [PRRA] under section 112(1) of the IRPA. He was told that his application had to be submitted no later than September 1, 2017, and that his written submissions had to be provided no later than September 17, 2017. As long as the applicant met these deadlines, the removal order made against him would be suspended until a decision was made on his application (see ss 162 and 232 of the IRPR).

[5] With the assistance of a lawyer, the applicant submitted his PRRA application and comprehensive supporting submissions as required. Supplementary submissions relating to the favourable decision of the RPD in the case of the applicant’s mother and brother were provided on October 7, 2017.

[6] On November 17, 2017, counsel for the applicant wrote to Citizenship and Immigration Canada requesting a decision on the PRRA application. He indicated that, if no reply to this request was received by April 1, 2018, he would proceed with an application for a writ of mandamus and a declaration that the government of Canada has a legal obligation to determine the applicant’s Convention refugee status. He did not receive a reply.

[7] On April 17, 2018, the applicant filed the present application for a writ of mandamus and declaratory relief. However, at some point in or about July 2018, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, acting through his delegate(s), cancelled the applicant’s PRRA application. This decision was communicated to the applicant on or about August 30, 2018.

[8] The Minister now contends that the application for mandamus is moot and that the applicant is not entitled to the declaratory relief he seeks.

[9] I have considerable sympathy for the predicament in which the applicant finds himself. As will be explained in more detail below, his claim for refugee protection in Canada is essentially stalled for the foreseeable future. In this very important respect, his life remains on hold for an indeterminate period of time.

[10] For the reasons that follow, however, I agree with the Minister. The applicant does not have a legal right to have his PRRA application decided at this time. The Minister therefore did not err in cancelling the application. The only error was to have invited the applicant to make a PRRA application in the first place. As a result, the application for mandamus is moot. I have also concluded that the applicant has not established his entitlement to the declaratory relief he seeks. Accordingly, this application for judicial review must be dismissed.

II. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

[11] Some additional background is necessary to put the present application in context.

[12] Section 162 of the IRPR provides that an application for a PRRA made within 15 days of when notification was given under section 160 of the IRPR shall not be decided until at least 30 days after notification was given. In effect, this gives an applicant for a PRRA the opportunity (albeit brief) to provide submissions and evidence in support of his or her application. Otherwise, there are no statutory time constraints on the rendering of a decision on a PRRA application. As well, if the decision remains outstanding after 30 days of notification, there is nothing to prevent an applicant from providing supplementary submissions or evidence, as the present applicant did. (The only statutory constraint on the evidence supporting the application is that it must meet the requirements of section 113(a) of the IRPA. That is, an applicant whose claim for refugee protection was rejected “may present only new evidence that arose after the rejection or was not reasonably available, or that the applicant could not reasonably have been expected in the circumstances to have presented, at the time of the rejection.” Since the applicant’s prior refugee claim was never considered on its merits, this provision does not apply to him.)

[13] As set out above, counsel for the applicant notified the Minister of his intention to seek a writ of mandamus if a decision was not made by April 1, 2018. This correspondence went unacknowledged and, of course, no decision was made.

[14] On April 17, 2018, the applicant filed an Application for Leave and Judicial Review seeking the following principal forms of relief:

a) a writ of mandamus against the Minister requiring the PRRA office to determine the applicant’s PRRA application within 90 days of the Court’s order;
b) a declaration that the Minister’s failure to determine the applicant’s status as a Convention refugee violates Canada’s international human rights law obligations towards refugees under the Refugee Convention; and
c) a declaration that the Minister’s failure to determine the applicant’s status as a Convention refugee violates section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

[15] Since the decision to cancel the PRRA application was not made until about three months after the Application for Leave and Judicial Review was filed, it is not surprising that it is not mentioned there. However, the Application for Leave and Judicial Review was not amended to challenge the decision cancelling the PRRA application prior to the hearing of this application for judicial review. At the hearing, I expressed the concern that unless the decision to cancel the PRRA application was set aside, the cancellation would be a fait accompli and there would be no outstanding decision with respect to which a writ of mandamus could issue. The applicant agreed to amend the Application for Leave and Judicial Review by adding a request for the following additional relief: “an order setting aside the decision of Immigration Enforcement Officer A. Biscotti dated July 19, 2018, which the Applicant was notified of on August 30, 2018, cancelling his Pre-Removal Risk Assessment application.” The respondent consented to this amendment.

[16] While nothing turns on this, I pause to note that I do not agree with the applicant that it was Enforcement Officer Biscotti who made the decision to cancel the PRRA. On a fair reading of documents in the Certified Tribunal Record [CTR], it is apparent that the decision to cancel the PRRA was made at some point by someone from Citizenship and Immigration Canada and not by Enforcement Officer Biscotti. Even so, we have no idea who that person is or his or her position. Enforcement Officer Biscotti (who had dealt with the applicant back in August 2017) merely communicated this decision and the reason for it to the applicant by writing him a letter. She then arranged for a local Canada Border Services Agency [CBSA] office in Mississauga to give the letter to the applicant in person. That being said, it would have been very helpful to the parties and to the Court if there had been greater clarity in the CTR concerning who made the decision to cancel the PRRA and when. In a matter as important as this, there should not be any room for doubt about such things. (For ease of reference, generally I will refer to the decision simply as that of Minister’s.)

III. DECISION UNDER REVIEW

[17] As noted above, the decision to cancel the PRRA application was communicated to the applicant in a letter from Enforcement Officer Biscotti. The letter stated the following:

Votre demande d’Examen Des Risques Avant Renvoi (ERAR) a été annulée puisque vous n’êtes pas prêt à être renvoyé en ce moment.

Il y a présentement un Sursis Administratif aux Renvois pour le Burundi. Lorsque le Sursis Administratif aux Renvois sera annulé, vous serez contacté afin de déposer une autre demande d’Examen Des Risques Avant Renvoi.

[18] The letter was given to the applicant on or about August 30, 2018.

[19] As Enforcement Officer Biscotti alludes to in her letter, on December 2, 2015, the Government of Canada adopted a Sursis Administratif aux Renvois (or an Administrative Deferral of Removals [ADR]) to Burundi. This measure was adopted because of conditions there, including government instability, rising levels of violence and food insecurity.

[20] The authority to put an ADR in place comes from section 230 of the IRPR, which provides as follows:

230 (1) Considerations – The Minister may impose a stay on removal orders with respect to a country or a place if the circumstances in that country or place pose a generalized risk to the entire civilian population as a result of:	230 (1) Le ministre peut imposer un sursis aux mesures de renvoi vers un pays ou un lieu donné si la situation dans ce pays ou ce lieu expose l’ensemble de la population civile à un risque généralisé qui découle :
a) an armed conflict within the country or place;	(a) soit de l’existence d’un conflit armé dans le pays ou le lieu;
b) an environmental disaster resulting in a substantial temporary disruption of living conditions; or	(b) soit d’un désastre environnemental qui entraîne la perturbation importante et temporaire des conditions de vie;
c) any situation that is temporary or generalized.	(c) soit d’une circonstance temporaire et généralisée.
(2) Cancellation – The Minister may cancel the stay if the circumstances referred to in subsection (1) no longer pose a generalized risk to the entire civilian population.	(2) Le ministre peut révoquer le sursis si la situation n’expose plus l’ensemble de la population civile à un risque généralisé.

[21] Subsection 230(3) sets out a number of exceptions to this type of stay of removal but none of them apply to the applicant. As a result, for as long as the ADR remains in place, the applicant cannot be removed to Burundi.

[22] It was Enforcement Officer Biscotti who provided the applicant with notification of his right to submit an application for a PRRA. In an affidavit filed in connection with the present application, she states that she was in error when she did so. Since the applicant could not be removed from Canada in August 2017 because of the ADR, he should not have been provided with notification under section 160 of the IRPR.

[23] As set out above, essentially the same reason is given for cancelling the PRRA application: the applicant is entitled to make a PRRA application only when he is ready to be removed from Canada and he cannot be removed while the ADR is in place.

IV. ISSUES

[24] While this application raises several inter-related issues, I have framed my discussion around three broad questions:

a) Did the Minister err in cancelling the applicant’s PRRA application?
b) Is the application for a writ of mandamus moot?
c) Is the applicant entitled to the declaratory relief he seeks?

V. ANALYSIS

[25] As stated in his Application for Leave and Judicial Review, the applicant contends that he has a right to a determination of his refugee status in Canada now and that the Minister is under a corresponding duty to make this determination. This is the legal foundation of the applicant’s request for mandamus. It also underlies his request for declaratory relief.

[26] In assessing this submission, it is important to keep in mind what is, and what is not, in issue in this application. The applicant has not challenged the constitutionality of any statute or regulation. He has not sought any form of remedy in relation to legislation, either under section 52 of the Constitution Act or under section 24(1) of the Charter. In particular, he has not challenged the constitutionality of the provision that bars him from access to the Refugee Protection Division – namely, section 101(1)(c) of the IRPA. He has therefore accepted that, for purposes of this application, the PRRA process is the only statutory process available to him for the determination of his claim for protection. Rather than challenging the constitutionality of any statute or regulation that governs that process, the applicant contends that he has a right to a decision under the PRRA process on his claim for refugee protection now and that the Minister is under a corresponding duty. He grounds this claim in the IRPA and the IRPR, in the Charter, and in international law. On this basis, the applicant argues that the Minister’s refusal to make a decision on his PRRA application infringes this right and the appropriate and just remedy is an order requiring the Minister to make a decision on the application.

[27] If I agreed with the applicant about this, I would set aside the decision to cancel his PRRA application and proceed to consider whether he had established the pre-conditions for a writ of mandamus. On the other hand, if I do not agree with the applicant, there is no basis for me to interfere with the decision to cancel the PRRA application and the application for a writ of mandamus would be moot.

[28] In what follows, I will explain why I do not agree with the applicant.

A. Did the Minister err in cancelling the applicant’s PRRA application?

(1) Standard of review

[29] The parties did not say much about what standard of review I should apply to the decision to cancel the PRRA application. The respondent simply defends the decision as a reasonable one. The applicant does not address this question directly.

[30] It is well-established that ordinarily a PRRA officer’s decision is to be reviewed on a standard of reasonableness (see, for example, Thamotharampillai v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2016 FC 352 at para 18; AB v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2017 FC 629 at para 12; and Lakatos v Canada (Immigration and Citizenship), 2018 FC 367 at para 13). The reviewing court examines the decision for “the existence of justification, transparency and intelligibility within the decision-making process” and determines “whether the decision falls within a range of possible, acceptable outcomes which are defensible in respect of the facts and law” (Dunsmuir v New Brunswick, 2008 SCC 9 at para 47). The reviewing court is required to show deference to the PRRA officer’s analysis of the evidence in the record, something that falls within his or her presumed expertise (Belaroui v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2015 FC 863 at para 10).

[31] The present case, however, is not the usual sort of PRRA decision. It is not a decision on the merits of an application. It is a decision to cancel an application. As well, as discussed above, we do not even know who made that decision – a PRRA officer, or someone else from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It is difficult to know whether deference is owed to an completely anonymous decision-maker.

[32] The facts upon which the decision to cancel the PRRA application are not in dispute. The decision turns on the interpretation of section 160 of the IRPR as opposed to the assessment of evidence. The case could be made that deference is still owed to the decision-maker and the reasonableness standard should be applied because he or she was interpreting and applying one of his or her home statutes (or regulations, to be precise) (Canada (Canadian Human Rights Commission) v Canada (Attorney General), 2018 SCC 31 at paras 27-29; B010 v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2015 SCC 58 at para 25 [B010]). On the other hand, one could also argue that in matters relating to the protection against non-refoulement, the decision-maker must apply the correct legal principles. See, for example, the Supreme Court of Canada’s approach in Németh v Canada (Justice), 2010 SCC 56 at para 58 [Németh], albeit without an express discussion of the standard of review. However, it is not necessary to resolve this question here because, as I will explain, even applying the more stringent correctness standard of review, I have concluded that the Minister did not err in cancelling the applicant’s PRRA application. The decision is consistent with the purpose of the PRRA process and the applicable legal principles as I understand them to be.

(2) The PRRA process

[33] To understand the legal scheme for making and determining a PRRA application, one must consider both the IRPA and the IRPR. In this as in other respects, the IRPA functions as “framework legislation. It states basic principles and policies, leaving secondary policies, implementation, and operational matters to be dealt with in Regulations” (Austria v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2014 FCA 191 at para 17).

[34] As set out in the IRPA and the IRPR, the PRRA process can involve many exceptions and restrictions, depending on a variety of factors. Since none of these exceptions or restrictions apply to the applicant, for the sake of simplicity I will generally summarize only those parts of the process that apply to him. The full text of the relevant provisions may be found in the Annex to these reasons.

[35] Section 112(1) of the IRPA provides that a person in Canada, other than a person referred to in section 115(1) of the Act (i.e. a protected person or a person recognized as a Convention refugee by another country to which they may be returned) “may, in accordance with the regulations, apply to the Minister for protection if they are subject to a removal order that is in force.” Section 160(1) of the IRPR provides that “a person may apply for protection after they are given notification to that effect by the Department.” (“Department,” naturally, means the Department of Citizenship and Immigration – see IRPR, s 2). Section 160(3)(a) of the IRPR provides that, in the case of a person who is subject to a removal order that is in force, notification shall be given “before removal from Canada.” In the applicant’s case, the assessment of the PRRA application would be on the basis of sections 96 to 98 of the IRPA – in other words, whether he is a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection (IRPA, s 113(c)). If allowed, the application has the effect of conferring refugee protection on the applicant (IRPA, s 114(1)(a)).

[36] In simple terms, the duty to initiate the PRRA process by offering someone the opportunity to make an application is subject to a legal pre-condition and a temporal outer limit. The legal pre-condition is that the person must be “subject to a removal order that is in force” (IRPA, s 112(1) and IRPR, s 160(3)(a)). The temporal outer limit is that the offer must be made “before removal from Canada” (IRPR, s 160(3)(a)). Both the Act and the Regulations are silent about how long before removal a person is entitled to this notification.

[37] As a practical matter, there is now a division of responsibilities between PRRA officers with Citizenship and Immigration Canada and enforcement officers with the CBSA. It is CBSA enforcement officers who typically give notification under section 160(3) of the IRPR. If a person goes ahead with an application, it is a PRRA officer who will decide it. Once the decision is made, it will be a CBSA enforcement officer who delivers it to the person concerned.

[38] There is no dispute that the applicant is subject to a removal order that is in force – namely, the exclusion order that was served on him on August 15 (or 16), 2017, which came into force on August 22 (or 23), 2017. The critical question is whether it was nevertheless a mistake to give him notification on August 17, 2017, of the opportunity to submit a PRRA application, a mistake which had to be corrected by cancelling the PRRA application. (I note parenthetically that in this case nothing turns on the fact that the applicant was served with the PRRA notification before his removal order was actually in force. The applicant was served on August 17, 2017 but the removal order did not come into force until a few days later. It is safe to assume that, given the officer’s understanding of the situation at the time, had she not served the applicant on August 17, 2017, she would have provided him with a PRRA notification on or shortly after August 22, 2017.)

[39] This Court has observed that, provided the person in question is subject to a removal order that is in force, “the timing of the notice is in the hands of the immigration authorities” (Francis v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2018 FC 1123 at para 22 [Francis]). The exercise of this discretion is to be guided by the objective of the scheme. This Court and the Federal Court of Appeal have both held this objective is to ensure compliance with Canada’s domestic and international commitments to the principle of non-refoulement (Figurado v Canada (Solicitor General), 2005 FC 347 at para 40; Raza v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2007 FCA 385 at para 10 [Raza]).

[40] A Regulatory Impact Analysis Statement concerning the PRRA (and other aspects of the IRPR) (Canada Gazette, Part II, Vol. 136, Extra (June 14, 2002)) made this purpose clear (at 274):

The policy basis for assessing risk prior to removal is found in Canada’s domestic and international commitments to the principle of non-refoulement. This principle holds that persons should not be removed from Canada to a country where they would be at risk of persecution, torture, risk to life or risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. Such commitments require that risk be reviewed prior to removal.

Similarly, under the heading “Purpose of these provisions,” the Regulatory Impact Analysis states (at 274):

The pre-removal risk assessment regulations provide a framework for the implementation of the PRRA such that Canada’s domestic and international obligations are honoured and that the safeguards provided by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are respected.

[41] In Raza the Federal Court of Appeal expressly adopted the first passage quoted above as stating the purpose of section 112 of the IRPA (at para 10).

[42] The Regulatory Impact Analysis goes on to explain how the PRRA process had been designed to “encourage applicants to exercise diligence in making their applications according to specific objective timelines in order to ensure that the PRRA assessment remains linked in time to removal” (at 274). The PRRA is said to be “closely linked in time to removals and is carried out immediately prior to removal” (at 276).

[43] Not surprisingly, this Court has taken the same view of the importance of the proximity of the assessment to removal. In Revich v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2005 FC 852, Justice Tremblay-Lamer held that “if this review is to be effective and consistent with Parliament’s intention when creating it, the PRRA must coincide as closely as possible with the person’s departure from the country” (at para 16). This view was adopted by Justice Zinn in Asfaw v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2016 FC 366, where he held that a PRRA “should not be conducted immediately, because its effectiveness in safeguarding the applicant’s right of non-refoulement depends on it being conducted just prior to removal” (at para 16, emphasis in original). Justice Zinn returned to this point again in Francis, where he reiterated that “PRRA decisions are to be made close to the actual removal from Canada of an applicant” (at para 21).

[44] The applicant submits, correctly, that none of these decisions presented the same issue as the present case. Nevertheless, this does not detract from the soundness of their analysis of how best to achieve the objective of the scheme. If someone is not facing removal, there is no risk of non-compliance with the principle of non-refoulement and so there is no need to offer them a PRRA at that time. Further, if the risk assessment is done too early and it is negative, it might need to be done again prior to removal in case country conditions or the person’s circumstances have changed in the meantime. As the Supreme Court of Canada held in Németh in a different but closely related context, the relevant time for assessing entitlement to non-refoulement protection is the time removal is sought (at para 50). Finally, it is noteworthy that there is a certain redundancy to submitting a PRRA application while other measures prevent the person’s removal from Canada. The statutory stay of removal while a PRRA application is pending serves to ensure that the risk assessment is made before removal from Canada, not after (Sogi v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2007 FC 108 at para 31; Solis Perez v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2008 FC 663 at para 25). Such a stay will generally not be necessary to prevent a person’s removal if an ADR for the relevant country is in place.

[45] I acknowledge that this interpretation of when one becomes eligible for a PRRA means that access to this form of protection is more restricted temporarily than the same form of protection provided by the RPD. The present case is a stark illustration of the difference between the two: the applicant cannot obtain refugee protection because of the ADR but the ADR did not prevent his brother or his mother from being recognized as refugees by the RPD. Still, it must be recalled that the main reason the applicant cannot obtain refugee protection now is because his claim was ineligible for referral to the RPD under section 101(1)(c) of the IRPA. As a matter of public policy, Canada has established certain barriers to access to the refugee determination process. The applicant has not challenged the barrier that prevented his access to the refugee determination process before the RPD.

[46] Parliament designed the refugee determination process and the PRRA process to perform closely related but distinct functions. The PRRA process was adopted as a safe-guard for ensuring compliance with the principle of non-refoulement but it is only necessary to engage it for individuals who have not been granted refugee protection, either because they did not apply for it, because they applied for it but were unsuccessful, or (like the applicant) because they could not apply for it. In short, the purpose of the PRRA is to prevent removal that is contrary to the principle of non-refoulement for individuals who, for whatever reason, have not otherwise been able to secure refugee protection. The applicant has not persuaded me that the PRRA process is meant to perform any other function than this critically important one.

[47] Conducting a PRRA reasonably close in time to when the person could be removed from Canada best ensures its effectiveness. This is the best way to protect the rights of the person concerned and the best way to ensure that Canada complies with its domestic and international obligations. I cannot accept the applicant’s contention that the PRRA process should function more broadly as an alternative route to refugee status, even though that is one possible outcome of that process and, for some (like the applicant), it is the only route to recognition of that status. In my view, the applicant cannot succeed in modifying the PRRA process to emulate the refugee determination process simply through an exercise in statutory interpretation, as he has attempted to do. The outcome he seeks is contrary to the purpose of the scheme and the clear intention of Parliament in enacting it (Németh at para 26). While the text of section 160(3)(a) of the IRPR is open to the broader interpretation urged by the applicant, it is constrained by the context and purpose of the provision. These considerations support the Minister’s interpretation, not the applicant’s.

[48] The applicant relies on the Charter in support of his argument for a temporally broader interpretation of section 160(3)(a) of the IRPR and of when the entitlement to have a PRRA application decided arises. It is clear from the statement of purpose quoted above that part of the purpose of the PRRA process is to ensure compliance with the Charter. The applicant has not persuaded me that, under the Minister’s interpretation, the PRRA process falls short in protecting Charter rights, as it was designed to do. Moreover, the Charter does not give a positive right to refugee protection (Febles v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2014 SCC 68 at para 68 [Febles]). As for the applicant’s attempt to use the Charter to impute a broader function to the PRRA process, when Parliament’s intent for a statutory provision is clear and unambiguous, “the Charter cannot be used as an interpretive tool to give the legislation a meaning which Parliament did not intend” (Febles at para 67).

[49] The applicant has also urged me to consider the international law context in which the PRRA scheme in general and sections 112(1) of the IRPA and section 160(3) of the IRPR in particular are enacted when interpreting these provisions. There is no question that this must be done (IRPA, s 3(3)(f); B010 at paras 47-50; R v Appulonappa, 2015 SCC 59 at para 40). But having done so, I cannot agree that an interpretation of the scheme that triggers the obligation to give notification of the opportunity to submit a PRRA application only when the person concerned is about to be removed from Canada is inconsistent with that context. On the contrary, it helps to ensure that the scheme serves its intended function of promoting compliance with the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of refugee protection and one of the foundational principles of international human rights law generally (Németh at paras 1, 18 and 19).

[50] In sum, I find that an interpretation of section 160(3)(a) of the IRPR which triggers the obligation to give notification of the opportunity to submit a PRRA application only when the person concerned is facing removal is consistent with the words of the provision, “read harmoniously with the scheme of the Act, the object of the Act, and the intention of Parliament” (B010 at para 29). I am also satisfied that this interpretation is consistent with the duties imposed on the Minister under the Charter and international law insofar as they are engaged by the PRRA scheme.

[51] The applicant also contends that the Minister is subject to a free-standing duty, grounded in the Charter and international law, to determine his application for refugee protection outside of the PRRA scheme. I will address this submission below in connection with the applicant’s request for declaratory relief.

(3) The decision to cancel the PRRA

[52] On the basis of the foregoing, I have concluded that the Minister did not err in cancelling the applicant’s PRRA application. Enforcement Officer Biscotti made a mistake when she gave the applicant notification of his right to submit an application for a PRRA on August 17, 2017. This is because, with the ADR for Burundi in effect, the applicant was not facing removal from Canada. It would be inconsistent with the objective of the PRRA scheme to proceed with an assessment at that time.

[53] When a given person is facing removal from Canada such as to trigger section 160(3)(a) of the IRPR will depend on a variety of factors. It is not necessary for me to consider this broader question here. It suffices to conclude that, since the applicant cannot be removed from Canada because of the ADR, he was not facing removal when he was offered a PRRA. The only way to undo the officer’s mistake was to cancel the PRRA. The reason given for doing so – the applicant is currently not facing removal from Canada – is legally sound and fully explains the result. The applicant is subject to a removal order that is in force but that order is not enforceable because it has been stayed by the Minister under section 230 of the IRPR (see IRPA, ss 48(1) and 50(e)). The fact that the applicant did not need a statutory stay under the PRRA scheme to prevent his removal from Canada is another indication that his PRRA application is not yet ripe for consideration. In such circumstances, the Minister is not required to proceed with a PRRA despite the fact that the applicant was offered one. Indeed, to proceed with the risk assessment while the ADR is in place would be inconsistent with the effective operation of the PRRA scheme.

[54] That being said, I must observe that the timing of the decision to cancel the applicant’s PRRA (nearly a year after he submitted his application and only after he had to take the unusual step of seeking a writ of mandamus) and the complete absence of an explanation for the delay in making that decision leave much to be desired.

B. Is the application for a writ of mandamus moot?

[55] With the PRRA application having been cancelled, the Minister contends that the application for a writ of mandamus should be dismissed as moot.

[56] A mootness analysis proceeds in two stages. The first question is whether a live controversy remains that affects or may affect the rights of the parties. If this question is answered in the negative, the proceeding is moot but the Court must still consider whether it should nonetheless exercise its discretion to decide the matter on the merits (Borowski v Canada (Attorney General), [1989] 1 S.C.R. 342 at 353-63 [Borowski]; Democracy Watch v Canada (Attorney General), 2018 FCA 195 at para 10).

[57] I am satisfied that there is no longer a live controversy that affects the rights of the parties, at least as far as the PRRA application is concerned. That application has been cancelled for a reason which I have found to be legally sound (indeed, correct). There no longer being a decision to be made on an application, there is nothing for me to compel the Minister to do at this time (even assuming all the other pre-conditions for a writ of mandamus were satisfied – see Apotex Inc v Canada (Attorney General), [1994] 1 FC 742 at para 45 (CA)). The matter is therefore moot.

[58] In Borowski, the Court formulated guidelines for determining whether a court should address the issues raised in a case despite their mootness. Three factors were identified: (1) whether there is an adversarial context; (2) the concern for judicial economy; and (3) whether deciding the case on its merits would be consistent with the court’s adjudicative role relative to that of the legislative branch of government (at 358-63). The Court emphasized that this is not an exhaustive list: “more than a cogent generalization is probably undesirable because an exhaustive list would unduly fetter the court’s discretion in future cases” (at 358). This discretion is “to be judicially exercised with due regard for established principles” (ibid.). Further, the application of these factors is not a “mechanical process” (at 363). The factors may not all support the same conclusion in a given case, and the presence of one or two may be overborne by the absence of a third, and vice versa (ibid.).

[59] In my view, only the first of these factors favours deciding this case on its merits. There is no question that an adversarial context is present here. The applicant’s refugee status remains undetermined and he clearly has a continuing interest in the matter. The Minister has a continuing interest as well. Both sides have ably advanced their positions on the merits of the application. However, the other two factors weigh heavily against deciding this part of the application on its merits. Judicial economy would not be served by entering into a further discussion of the Minister’s duties towards the applicant under the PRRA process when these questions will crystalize later (assuming it becomes necessary to engage the PRRA at some point). To the extent that there are important legal issues to be determined, in my view the foregoing discussion of the PRRA process together with the discussion to follow concerning the applicant’s requests for declaratory relief suffice for present purposes. Mandamus is already an extraordinary, discretionary remedy (Farhadi v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2014 FC 926 at para 28). Nothing would be gained by further consideration of the now entirely hypothetical request for this relief.

[60] For these reasons, I decline to exercise my discretion to give further consideration to the applicant’s moot request for a writ of mandamus.

C. The applicant’s requests for declaratory relief

[61] A court may, in its discretion, grant a declaration “where it has jurisdiction to hear the issue, where the dispute before the court is real and not theoretical, where the party raising the issue has a genuine interest in its resolution, and where the respondent has an interest in opposing the declaration sought” (Ewart v Canada, 2018 SCC 30 at para 81).

[62] The request for declaratory relief was part of the original Application for Leave and Judicial Review, which was filed when a decision on the PRRA application was still outstanding. The applicant clearly hoped that, if granted, this remedy would put additional legal pressure on the Minister to make a decision on his PRRA application. While the cancellation of the PRRA application has rendered the request for a writ of mandamus moot, it did not have the same impact on the request for declarations. It remains a live controversy between the parties that affects or may affect their rights.

(1) Section 7 of the Charter

[63] The applicant seeks a declaration as a remedy under section 24(1) of the Charter.

[64] A precondition for entitlement to such relief is that the applicant must establish that his Charter rights have been infringed or denied. The applicant contends that the Minister’s failure to determine his status as a Convention refugee violates his rights under section 7 of the Charter.

[65] A claim under section 7 must establish two things: first, that there is a deprivation of a right that is protected by section 7 (life, liberty or security of the person); second, that this deprivation is not in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice (Charkaoui v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2007 SCC 9 at para 12 [Charkaoui]).

[66] In my view, the applicant has failed to establish his entitlement to declaratory relief because he has failed to establish that his current circumstances engage section 7 of the Charter.

[67] There are a variety of ways that the protections of section 7 of the Charter may be engaged but the applicant has not established that they are engaged in his case – at least, not at this time. He is not detained or subject to other serious restrictions on his liberty (Charkaoui at para 13). He is not currently facing removal from Canada to a place where his life or freedom would be threatened or where he could be tortured (Charkaoui at para 14). He has not been labelled by Canada in a way that could cause irreparable harm in his life (ibid.).

[68] The applicant states in his affidavit that the prospect of remaining in Canada indefinitely without any resolution of his claim for refugee protection is “depressing.” He is “saddened” that his case remains unresolved while his brother’s and his mother’s claims were brought to a successful conclusion. The prospect that he could one day be forced to return to Burundi is a source of anxiety for him. He is unable to feel “entirely secure” in Canada. No other evidence concerning the psychological impact on the applicant of his unresolved status was provided.

[69] The right to security of the person guaranteed by section 7 of the Charter protects the psychological integrity of an individual (Blencoe v British Columbia (Human Rights Commission), 2000 SCC 44 at paras 55-57). However, to engage section 7 on this basis, the impact of the state action must be greater than ordinary stress and anxiety; it must be serious and profound (New Brunswick (Minister of Health and Community Services) v G (J), [1999] 3 S.C.R. 46 at para 60). I do not doubt the sincerity of the applicant’s evidence about the psychological impact of the Minister’s refusal to determine his refugee status in some way. However, it falls well short of the high threshold necessary to engage section 7 of the Charter.

[70] The applicant also states that he has had difficulty moving ahead in his life. He cannot afford to attend school (because he cannot afford foreign student fees) and he has had difficulty obtaining work (because of his temporary status in Canada). The law is clear, however, that the right to life, liberty and security of the person protected by section 7 encompasses essential or fundamental life choices, and not pure economic interests (Siemens v Manitoba (Attorney General), 2003 SCC 3 at para 45). The impact of the applicant’s unresolved status on his education or employability does not engage section 7 of the Charter, either.

[71] I must stress that these findings should in no way be taken to suggest that the impact on the applicant of his unresolved status should not entitle him to some other form of relief (e.g. humanitarian and compassionate [H&C] relief under section 25(1) of the IRPA). All I have concluded is that the applicant has failed to establish his entitlement to a Charter remedy in this proceeding because he has failed to establish that his current circumstances engage section 7 of the Charter.

[72] The applicant states in his affidavit: “For the foreseeable future there is no prospect of the human rights situation in Burundi improving. If the Administrative Deferral continues indefinitely, I will remain indefinitely here without resolution of my status.” Any fair-minded person would empathize with the applicant. However, for reasons I develop in the next section, I am not convinced that the applicant’s situation is as bleak as he may think.

(2) International law

[73] I begin by noting that I have serious doubts about the jurisdiction of this Court to issue a declaration concerning international law. Nevertheless, assuming for the sake of argument that it is appropriate for me to consider the request, I have concluded that the applicant has failed to establish his entitlement to such relief.

[74] As I understand the applicant’s argument, he relies principally on Article 34 of the Refugee Convention to contend that the Minister has violated international law by refusing to process his claim for refugee protection.

[75] Article 34 provides as follows:

The Contracting States shall as far as possible facilitate the assimilation and naturalization of refugees. They shall in particular make every effort to expedite naturalization proceedings and to reduce as far as possible the charges and costs of such proceedings.

[76] The applicant contends that obtaining refugee protection in Canada is a necessary step towards naturalization. By refusing to determine his claim for refugee protection for an indefinite period of time, the Minister has failed to facilitate the applicant’s assimilation and naturalization “as far as possible” and has failed to “make every effort to expedite” the applicant’s naturalization.

[77] I cannot agree with the applicant.

[78] The applicant’s argument depends on the premise that obtaining refugee protection is the only effective means for him to become eligible to seek permanent resident status in Canada. I am not convinced that this premise is correct. The applicant argues that the only other option – seeking permanent resident status on H&C grounds under section 25(1) of the IRPA – is not as effective a route to naturalization as obtaining refugee status. However, the evidence in this application and the applicant’s submissions fall well short of demonstrating that this is the case.

[79] I acknowledge that decisions on H&C applications are inherently discretionary and that they are based on a wider and different range of considerations than an application for refugee protection. However, there is no reason in principle to think that this is not a suitable and effective route to naturalization for someone in the applicant’s situation. An H&C application is intended to be a flexible solution for exceptional cases where the law operates unfairly or inequitably (Kanthasamy v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2015 SCC 61 at paras 13 and 19). It is at the very least arguable that the applicant’s current circumstances fall squarely within the intended ambit of section 25(1) of the IRPA (see my recent discussion of an H&C decision concerning an individual who is subject to an ADR in Bawazir v Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2019 FC 623).

[80] There is no evidence before me that the applicant has made an H&C application. The applicant’s counsel submits that there are practical considerations that limit the effectiveness of this remedy (e.g. cost and delay) but no evidence concerning these barriers is before me. Even assuming that this is the case, such things do not necessarily entail that an H&C application is inherently a less effective way to secure naturalization. It is an available option under the law. Its ineffectiveness (if such is the case) can only be established by engaging that process and then seeing how it performs in a given case. Moreover, in my respectful view, the applicant’s otherwise sound arguments based on international law mounted here would be better directed to supporting an H&C application or, if necessary, to the judicial review of an adverse H&C decision or unreasonable delay in making a decision. Absent a reason to rule out an H&C application as a suitable and effective route to naturalization for the applicant, there is no basis for finding that the Minister has violated international law by not determining the applicant’s status as a refugee, as alleged by the applicant.

D. Certified question

[81] The applicant proposes the following question for certification:

Does Canada have a duty under international human rights law to determine a claim for Convention refugee status if removal of the refugee claimant has been deferred, suspended or stayed?

[82] The respondent does not appear to oppose certification of such a question in principle but proposes instead the following, more narrowly framed question:

Does Canada have a duty under international human rights law to determine an application for protection (specifically, the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment) if removal of the foreign national has been deferred, suspended or stayed?

[83] The criteria for certification were stated recently by the Federal Court of Appeal in Lunyamila v Canada (Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness), 2018 FCA 22 at para 46.

[84] In my view, while both of the questions posed by the parties are serious, transcend the interests of the parties, and are important, neither would be dispositive of the appeal. As a result, neither question will be certified.

VI. CONCLUSION

[85] For these reasons, the application for judicial review is dismissed. No question of general importance is certified.

JUDGMENT IN IMM-1757-18

THIS COURT’S JUDGMENT is that

The application for judicial review is dismissed.
No question of general importance is stated.

“John Norris”

Judge

ANNEXE A

Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, SC 2001, c 27

Enforcement of Removal Orders	Exécution des mesures de renvoi
48 (1) A removal order is enforceable if it has come into force and is not stayed.	48 (1) La mesure de renvoi est exécutoire depuis sa prise d’effet dès lors qu’elle ne fait pas l’objet d’un sursis.
(2) If a removal order is enforceable, the foreign national against whom it was made must leave Canada immediately and the order must be enforced as soon as possible.	(2) L’étranger visé par la mesure de renvoi exécutoire doit immédiatement quitter le territoire du Canada, la mesure devant être exécutée dès que possible.
49 (1) A removal order comes into force on the latest of the following dates: (a) the day the removal order is made, if there is no right to appeal; (b) the day the appeal period expires, if there is a right to appeal and no appeal is made; and (c) the day of the final determination of the appeal, if an appeal is made.	49 (1) La mesure de renvoi non susceptible d’appel prend effet immédiatement; celle susceptible d’appel prend effet à l’expiration du délai d’appel, s’il n’est pas formé, ou quand est rendue la décision qui a pour résultat le maintien définitif de la mesure.
(2) Despite subsection (1), a removal order made with respect to a refugee protection claimant is conditional and comes into force on the latest of the following dates:	(2) Toutefois, celle visant le demandeur d’asile est conditionnelle et prend effet :
(a) the day the claim is determined to be ineligible only under paragraph 101(1)(e);	a) sur constat d’irrecevabilité au seul titre de l’alinéa 101(1)e);
(b) in a case other than that set out in paragraph (a), seven days after the claim is determined to be ineligible;	b) sept jours après le constat, dans les autres cas d’irrecevabilité prévus au paragraphe 101(1);
(c) if the claim is rejected by the Refugee Protection Division, on the expiry of the time limit referred to in subsection 110(2.1) or, if an appeal is made, 15 days after notification by the Refugee Appeal Division that the claim is rejected;	c) en cas de rejet de sa demande par la Section de la protection des réfugiés, à l’expiration du délai visé au paragraphe 110(2.1) ou, en cas d’appel, quinze jours après la notification du rejet de sa demande par la Section d’appel des réfugiés;
(d) 15 days after notification that the claim is declared withdrawn or abandoned; and	d) quinze jours après la notification de la décision prononçant le désistement ou le retrait de sa demande;
(e) 15 days after proceedings are terminated as a result of notice under paragraph 104(1)(c) or (d).	e) quinze jours après le classement de l’affaire au titre de l’avis visé aux alinéas 104(1)c) ou d).
50 A removal order is stayed	50 Il y a sursis de la mesure de renvoi dans les cas suivants :
(a) if a decision that was made in a judicial proceeding — at which the Minister shall be given the opportunity to make submissions — would be directly contravened by the enforcement of the removal order;	a) une décision judiciaire a pour effet direct d’en empêcher l’exécution, le ministre ayant toutefois le droit de présenter ses observations à l’instance;
(b) in the case of a foreign national sentenced to a term of imprisonment in Canada, until the sentence is completed;	b) tant que n’est pas purgée la peine d’emprisonnement infligée au Canada à l’étranger;
(c) for the duration of a stay imposed by the Immigration Appeal Division or any other court of competent jurisdiction;	c) pour la durée prévue par la Section d’appel de l’immigration ou toute autre juridiction compétente;
(d) for the duration of a stay under paragraph 114(1)(b); and	d) pour la durée du sursis découlant du paragraphe 114(1);
(e) for the duration of a stay imposed by the Minister.	e) pour la durée prévue par le ministre.
…	…
Examination of Eligibility to Refer Claim	Examen de la recevabilité par l’agent
…	…
101 (1) A claim is ineligible to be referred to the Refugee Protection Division if	101 (1) La demande est irrecevable dans les cas suivants :
(a) refugee protection has been conferred on the claimant under this Act;	a) l’asile a été conféré au demandeur au titre de la présente loi;
(b) a claim for refugee protection by the claimant has been rejected by the Board;	b) rejet antérieur de la demande d’asile par la Commission;
(c) a prior claim by the claimant was determined to be ineligible to be referred to the Refugee Protection Division, or to have been withdrawn or abandoned;	c) décision prononçant l’irrecevabilité, le désistement ou le retrait d’une demande antérieure;
(d) the claimant has been recognized as a Convention refugee by a country other than Canada and can be sent or returned to that country;	d) reconnaissance de la qualité de réfugié par un pays vers lequel il peut être renvoyé;
(e) the claimant came directly or indirectly to Canada from a country designated by the regulations, other than a country of their nationality or their former habitual residence; or	e) arrivée, directement ou indirectement, d’un pays désigné par règlement autre que celui dont il a la nationalité ou dans lequel il avait sa résidence habituelle;
(f) the claimant has been determined to be inadmissible on grounds of security, violating human or international rights, serious criminality or organized criminality, except for persons who are inadmissible solely on the grounds of paragraph 35(1)(c).	f) prononcé d’interdiction de territoire pour raison de sécurité ou pour atteinte aux droits humains ou internationaux — exception faite des personnes interdites de territoire au seul titre de l’alinéa 35(1)c) —, grande criminalité ou criminalité organisée.
…	…
DIVISION 1 Refugee Protection, Convention Refugees and Persons in Need of Protection	SECTION 1 Notions d’asile, de réfugié et de personne à protéger
…	…
96 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,	96 A qualité de réfugié au sens de la Convention — le réfugié — la personne qui, craignant avec raison d’être persécutée du fait de sa race, de sa religion, de sa nationalité, de son appartenance à un groupe social ou de ses opinions politiques :
(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	a) soit se trouve hors de tout pays dont elle a la nationalité et ne peut ou, du fait de cette crainte, ne veut se réclamer de la protection de chacun de ces pays;
(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.	b) soit, si elle n’a pas de nationalité et se trouve hors du pays dans lequel elle avait sa résidence habituelle, ne peut ni, du fait de cette crainte, ne veut y retourner.
97 (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	97 (1) A qualité de personne à protéger la personne qui se trouve au Canada et serait personnellement, par son renvoi vers tout pays dont elle a la nationalité ou, si elle n’a pas de nationalité, dans lequel elle avait sa résidence habituelle, exposée :
(a) to a danger, believed on substantial grounds to exist, of torture within the meaning of Article 1 of the Convention Against Torture; or	a) soit au risque, s’il y a des motifs sérieux de le croire, d’être soumise à la torture au sens de l’article premier de la Convention contre la torture;
(b) to a risk to their life or to a risk of cruel and unusual treatment or punishment if	b) soit à une menace à sa vie ou au risque de traitements ou peines cruels et inusités dans le cas suivant :
(i) the person is unable or, because of that risk, unwilling to avail themself of the protection of that country,	(i) elle ne peut ou, de ce fait, ne veut se réclamer de la protection de ce pays,
(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,	(ii) elle y est exposée en tout lieu de ce pays alors que d’autres personnes originaires de ce pays ou qui s’y trouvent ne le sont généralement pas,
(iii) the risk is not inherent or incidental to lawful sanctions, unless imposed in disregard of accepted international standards, and	(iii) la menace ou le risque ne résulte pas de sanctions légitimes — sauf celles infligées au mépris des normes internationales — et inhérents à celles-ci ou occasionnés par elles,
(iv) the risk is not caused by the inability of that country to provide adequate health or medical care.	(iv) la menace ou le risque ne résulte pas de l’incapacité du pays de fournir des soins médicaux ou de santé adéquats.
(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.	(2) A également qualité de personne à protéger la personne qui se trouve au Canada et fait partie d’une catégorie de personnes auxquelles est reconnu par règlement le besoin de protection.
98 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.	98 La personne visée aux sections E ou F de l’article premier de la Convention sur les réfugiés ne peut avoir la qualité de réfugié ni de personne à protéger.
…	…
DIVISION 3 Pre-removal Risk Assessment	SECTION 3 Examen des risques avant renvoi
Protection	Protection
112 (1) A person in Canada, other than a person referred to in subsection 115(1), may, in accordance with the regulations, apply to the Minister for protection if they are subject to a removal order that is in force or are named in a certificate described in subsection 77(1).	112 (1) La personne se trouvant au Canada et qui n’est pas visée au paragraphe 115(1) peut, conformément aux règlements, demander la protection au ministre si elle est visée par une mesure de renvoi ayant pris effet ou nommée au certificat visé au paragraphe 77(1).
(2) Despite subsection (1), a person may not apply for protection if	(2) Elle n’est pas admise à demander la protection dans les cas suivants :
(a) they are the subject of an authority to proceed issued under section 15 of the Extradition Act;	a) elle est visée par un arrêté introductif d’instance pris au titre de l’article 15 de la Loi sur l’extradition;
(b) they have made a claim to refugee protection that has been determined under paragraph 101(1)(e) to be ineligible;	b) sa demande d’asile a été jugée irrecevable au titre de l’alinéa 101(1)e);
(b.1) subject to subsection (2.1), less than 12 months, or, in the case of a person who is a national of a country that is designated under subsection 109.1(1), less than 36 months, have passed since their claim for refugee protection was last rejected — unless it was deemed to be rejected under subsection 109(3) or was rejected on the basis of section E or F of Article 1 of the Refugee Convention — or determined to be withdrawn or abandoned by the Refugee Protection Division or the Refugee Appeal Division;	b.1) sous réserve du paragraphe (2.1), moins de douze mois ou, dans le cas d’un ressortissant d’un pays qui fait l’objet de la désignation visée au paragraphe 109.1(1), moins de trente-six mois se sont écoulés depuis le dernier rejet de sa demande d’asile — sauf s’il s’agit d’un rejet prévu au paragraphe 109(3) ou d’un rejet pour un motif prévu à la section E ou F de l’article premier de la Convention — ou le dernier prononcé du désistement ou du retrait de la demande par la Section de la protection des réfugiés ou la Section d’appel des réfugiés;
(c) subject to subsection (2.1), less than 12 months, or, in the case of a person who is a national of a country that is designated under subsection 109.1(1), less than 36 months, have passed since their last application for protection was rejected or determined to be withdrawn or abandoned by the Refugee Protection Division or the Minister.	c) sous réserve du paragraphe (2.1), moins de douze mois ou, dans le cas d’un ressortissant d’un pays qui fait l’objet de la désignation visée au paragraphe 109.1(1), moins de 36 mois se sont écoulés depuis le rejet de sa dernière demande de protection ou le prononcé du retrait ou du désistement de cette demande par la Section de la protection des réfugiés ou le ministre.
(d) [Repealed, 2012, c. 17, s. 38]	d) [Abrogé, 2012, ch. 17, art. 38]
(2.1) The Minister may exempt from the application of paragraph (2)(b.1) or (c)	(2.1) Le ministre peut exempter de l’application des alinéas (2)b.1) ou c) :
(a) the nationals — or, in the case of persons who do not have a country of nationality, the former habitual residents — of a country;	a) les ressortissants d’un pays ou, dans le cas de personnes qui n’ont pas de nationalité, celles qui y avaient leur résidence habituelle;
(b) the nationals or former habitual residents of a country who, before they left the country, lived in a given part of that country; and	b) ceux de tels ressortissants ou personnes qui, avant leur départ du pays, en habitaient une partie donnée;
(c) a class of nationals or former habitual residents of a country.	c) toute catégorie de ressortissants ou de personnes visés à l’alinéa a).
(2.2) However, an exemption made under subsection (2.1) does not apply to persons in respect of whom, after the day on which the exemption comes into force, a decision is made respecting their claim for refugee protection by the Refugee Protection Division or, if an appeal is made, by the Refugee Appeal Division.	(2.2) Toutefois, l’exemption ne s’applique pas aux personnes dont la demande d’asile a fait l’objet d’une décision par la Section de la protection des réfugiées ou, en cas d’appel, par la Section d’appel des réfugiés après l’entrée en vigueur de l’exemption.
(2.3) The regulations may govern any matter relating to the application of subsection (2.1) or (2.2) and may include provisions establishing the criteria to be considered when an exemption is made.	(2.3) Les règlements régissent l’application des paragraphes (2.1) et (2.2) et prévoient notamment les critères à prendre en compte en vue de l’exemption.
(3) Refugee protection may not be conferred on an applicant who	(3) L’asile ne peut être conféré au demandeur dans les cas suivants :
(a) is determined to be inadmissible on grounds of security, violating human or international rights or organized criminality;	a) il est interdit de territoire pour raison de sécurité ou pour atteinte aux droits humains ou internationaux ou criminalité organisée;
(b) is determined to be inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality with respect to a conviction in Canada of an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years or with respect to a conviction outside Canada for an offence that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years;	b) il est interdit de territoire pour grande criminalité pour déclaration de culpabilité au Canada pour une infraction à une loi fédérale punissable d’un emprisonnement maximal d’au moins dix ans ou pour toute déclaration de culpabilité à l’extérieur du Canada pour une infraction qui, commise au Canada, constituerait une infraction à une loi fédérale punissable d’un emprisonnement maximal d’au moins dix ans;
(c) made a claim to refugee protection that was rejected on the basis of section F of Article 1 of the Refugee Convention; or	c) il a été débouté de sa demande d’asile au titre de la section F de l’article premier de la Convention sur les réfugiés;
(d) is named in a certificate referred to in subsection 77(1).	d) il est nommé au certificat visé au paragraphe 77(1).
113 Consideration of an application for protection shall be as follows:	113 Il est disposé de la demande comme il suit :
(a) an applicant whose claim to refugee protection has been rejected may present only new evidence that arose after the rejection or was not reasonably available, or that the applicant could not reasonably have been expected in the circumstances to have presented, at the time of the rejection;	a) le demandeur d’asile débouté ne peut présenter que des éléments de preuve survenus depuis le rejet ou qui n’étaient alors pas normalement accessibles ou, s’ils l’étaient, qu’il n’était pas raisonnable, dans les circonstances, de s’attendre à ce qu’il les ait présentés au moment du rejet;
(b) a hearing may be held if the Minister, on the basis of prescribed factors, is of the opinion that a hearing is required;	b) une audience peut être tenue si le ministre l’estime requis compte tenu des facteurs réglementaires;
(c) in the case of an applicant not described in subsection 112(3), consideration shall be on the basis of sections 96 to 98;	c) s’agissant du demandeur non visé au paragraphe 112(3), sur la base des articles 96 à 98;
(d) in the case of an applicant described in subsection 112(3) — other than one described in subparagraph (e)(i) or (ii) — consideration shall be on the basis of the factors set out in section 97 and	d) s’agissant du demandeur visé au paragraphe 112(3) — sauf celui visé au sous-alinéa e)(i) ou (ii) —, sur la base des éléments mentionnés à l’article 97 et, d’autre part :
(i) in the case of an applicant for protection who is inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality, whether they are a danger to the public in Canada, or	(i) soit du fait que le demandeur interdit de territoire pour grande criminalité constitue un danger pour le public au Canada,
(ii) in the case of any other applicant, whether the application should be refused because of the nature and severity of acts committed by the applicant or because of the danger that the applicant constitutes to the security of Canada; and	(ii) soit, dans le cas de tout autre demandeur, du fait que la demande devrait être rejetée en raison de la nature et de la gravité de ses actes passés ou du danger qu’il constitue pour la sécurité du Canada;
(e) in the case of the following applicants, consideration shall be on the basis of sections 96 to 98 and subparagraph (d)(i) or (ii), as the case may be:	e) s’agissant des demandeurs ci-après, sur la base des articles 96 à 98 et, selon le cas, du sous-alinéa d)(i) ou (ii) :
(i) an applicant who is determined to be inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality with respect to a conviction in Canada punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years for which a term of imprisonment of less than two years — or no term of imprisonment — was imposed, and	(i) celui qui est interdit de territoire pour grande criminalité pour déclaration de culpabilité au Canada pour une infraction à une loi fédérale punissable d’un emprisonnement maximal d’au moins dix ans et pour laquelle soit un emprisonnement de moins de deux ans a été infligé, soit aucune peine d’emprisonnement n’a été imposée,
(ii) an applicant who is determined to be inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality with respect to a conviction of an offence outside Canada that, if committed in Canada, would constitute an offence under an Act of Parliament punishable by a maximum term of imprisonment of at least 10 years, unless they are found to be a person referred to in section F of Article 1 of the Refugee Convention.	(ii) celui qui est interdit de territoire pour grande criminalité pour déclaration de culpabilité à l’extérieur du Canada pour une infraction qui, commise au Canada, constituerait une infraction à une loi fédérale punissable d’un emprisonnement maximal d’au moins dix ans, sauf s’il a été conclu qu’il est visé à la section F de l’article premier de la Convention sur les réfugiés.
114 (1) A decision to allow the application for protection has (a) in the case of an applicant not described in subsection 112(3), the effect of conferring refugee protection; and (b) in the case of an applicant described in subsection 112(3), the effect of staying the removal order with respect to a country or place in respect of which the applicant was determined to be in need of protection.	114 (1) La décision accordant la demande de protection a pour effet de conférer l’asile au demandeur; toutefois, elle a pour effet, s’agissant de celui visé au paragraphe 112(3), de surseoir, pour le pays ou le lieu en cause, à la mesure de renvoi le visant.
(2) If the Minister is of the opinion that the circumstances surrounding a stay of the enforcement of a removal order have changed, the Minister may re-examine, in accordance with paragraph 113(d) and the regulations, the grounds on which the application was allowed and may cancel the stay.	(2) Le ministre peut révoquer le sursis s’il estime, après examen, sur la base de l’alinéa 113d) et conformément aux règlements, des motifs qui l’ont justifié, que les circonstances l’ayant amené ont changé.
(3) If the Minister is of the opinion that a decision to allow an application for protection was obtained as a result of directly or indirectly misrepresenting or withholding material facts on a relevant matter, the Minister may vacate the decision.	(3) Le ministre peut annuler la décision ayant accordé la demande de protection s’il estime qu’elle découle de présentations erronées sur un fait important quant à un objet pertinent, ou de réticence sur ce fait.
(4) If a decision is vacated under subsection (3), it is nullified and the application for protection is deemed to have been rejected.	(4) La décision portant annulation emporte nullité de la décision initiale et la demande de protection est réputée avoir été rejetée.
115 (1) A protected person or a person who is recognized as a Convention refugee by another country to which the person may be returned shall not be removed from Canada to a country where they would be at risk of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion or at risk of torture or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment.	115 (1) Ne peut être renvoyée dans un pays où elle risque la persécution du fait de sa race, de sa religion, de sa nationalité, de son appartenance à un groupe social ou de ses opinions politiques, la torture ou des traitements ou peines cruels et inusités, la personne protégée ou la personne dont il est statué que la qualité de réfugié lui a été reconnue par un autre pays vers lequel elle peut être renvoyée.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply in the case of a person	(2) Le paragraphe (1) ne s’applique pas à l’interdit de territoire :
(a) who is inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality and who constitutes, in the opinion of the Minister, a danger to the public in Canada; or	a) pour grande criminalité qui, selon le ministre, constitue un danger pour le public au Canada;
(b) who is inadmissible on grounds of security, violating human or international rights or organized criminality if, in the opinion of the Minister, the person should not be allowed to remain in Canada on the basis of the nature and severity of acts committed or of danger to the security of Canada.	b) pour raison de sécurité ou pour atteinte aux droits humains ou internationaux ou criminalité organisée si, selon le ministre, il ne devrait pas être présent au Canada en raison soit de la nature et de la gravité de ses actes passés, soit du danger qu’il constitue pour la sécurité du Canada.
(3) A person, after a determination under paragraph 101(1)(e) that the person’s claim is ineligible, is to be sent to the country from which the person came to Canada, but may be sent to another country if that country is designated under subsection 102(1) or if the country from which the person came to Canada has rejected their claim for refugee protection.	(3) Une personne ne peut, après prononcé d’irrecevabilité au titre de l’alinéa 101(1)e), être renvoyée que vers le pays d’où elle est arrivée au Canada sauf si le pays vers lequel elle sera renvoyée a été désigné au titre du paragraphe 102(1) ou que sa demande d’asile a été rejetée dans le pays d’où elle est arrivée au Canada.

Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations, SOR/2002-227

159.5 Paragraph 101(1)(e) of the Act does not apply if a claimant who seeks to enter Canada at a location other than one identified in paragraphs 159.4(1)(a) to (c) establishes, in accordance with subsection 100(4) of the Act, that

159.5 L’alinéa 101(1)e) de la Loi ne s’applique pas si le demandeur qui cherche à entrer au Canada à un endroit autre que l’un de ceux visés aux alinéas 159.4(1)a) à c) démontre, conformément au paragraphe 100(4) de la Loi, qu’il se trouve dans l’une ou l’autre des situations suivantes :

…

(c) a family member of the claimant who has attained the age of 18 years is in Canada and has made a claim for refugee protection that has been referred to the Board for determination, unless

c) un membre de sa famille âgé d’au moins dix-huit ans est au Canada et a fait une demande d’asile qui a été déférée à la Commission sauf si, selon le cas :

(i) the claim has been withdrawn by the family member,

(i) celui-ci a retiré sa demande,

(ii) the claim has been abandoned by the family member,

(ii) celui-ci s’est désisté de sa demande,

(iii) the claim has been rejected, or

(iii) sa demande a été rejetée,

(iv) any pending proceedings or proceedings respecting the claim have been terminated under subsection 104(2) of the Act or any decision respecting the claim has been nullified under that subsection;

(iv) il a été mis fin à l’affaire en cours ou la décision a été annulée aux termes du paragraphe 104(2) de la Loi;

…

Pre-Removal Risk Assessment

Examen des risques avant renvoi

160 (1) Subject to subsection (2) and for the purposes of subsection 112(1) of the Act, a person may apply for protection after they are given notification to that effect by the Department.

160 (1) Sous réserve du paragraphe (2), pour l’application du paragraphe 112(1) de la Loi, toute personne peut faire une demande de protection après avoir reçu du ministère un avis à cet effet.

(2) A person described in section 165 or 166 may apply for protection in accordance with that section without being given notification to that effect by the Department.

(2) La personne visée aux articles 165 ou 166 peut faire une demande de protection conformément à ces articles sans avoir reçu du ministère un avis à cet effet.

(3) Notification shall be given

(3) L’avis est donné :

(a) in the case of a person who is subject to a removal order that is in force, before removal from Canada; and

a) dans le cas de la personne visée par une mesure de renvoi ayant pris effet, avant son renvoi du Canada;

(b) in the case of a person named in a certificate described in subsection 77(1) of the Act, when the summary of information and other evidence is filed under subsection 77(2) of the Act.

b) dans le cas de la personne nommée dans le certificat visé au paragraphe 77(1) de la Loi, lorsque le résumé de la preuve est déposé en application du paragraphe 77(2) de la Loi.

(4) Notification is given

(4) L’avis est donné :

(a) when the person is given the application for protection form by hand; or

a) soit sur remise en personne du formulaire de demande de protection;

(b) if the application for protection form is sent by mail, seven days after the day on which it was sent to the person at the last address provided by them to the Department.

b) soit à l’expiration d’un délai de sept jours suivant l’envoi par courrier du formulaire de demande de protection à la dernière adresse fournie au ministère par la personne.

…

162 An application received within 15 days after notification was given under section 160 shall not be decided until at least 30 days after notification was given. The removal order is stayed under section 232 until the earliest of the events referred to in paragraphs 232(c) to (f) occurs.

162 La demande de protection reçue dans les quinze jours suivant la délivrance de l’avis visé à l’article 160 ne peut être tranchée avant l’expiration d’un délai de trente jours suivant la délivrance de l’avis. Le sursis de la mesure de renvoi aux termes de l’article 232 s’applique alors jusqu’au premier en date des événements visés aux alinéas c) à f) de cet article.

…

Stay of Removal Orders

Sursis

230 (1) The Minister may impose a stay on removal orders with respect to a country or a place if the circumstances in that country or place pose a generalized risk to the entire civilian population as a result of

230 (1) Le ministre peut imposer un sursis aux mesures de renvoi vers un pays ou un lieu donné si la situation dans ce pays ou ce lieu expose l’ensemble de la population civile à un risque généralisé qui découle :

(a) an armed conflict within the country or place;

a) soit de l’existence d’un conflit armé dans le pays ou le lieu;

(b) an environmental disaster resulting in a substantial temporary disruption of living conditions; or

b) soit d’un désastre environnemental qui entraîne la perturbation importante et temporaire des conditions de vie;

(c) any situation that is temporary and generalized.

c) soit d’une circonstance temporaire et généralisée.

(2) The Minister may cancel the stay if the circumstances referred to in subsection (1) no longer pose a generalized risk to the entire civilian population.

(2) Le ministre peut révoquer le sursis si la situation n’expose plus l’ensemble de la population civile à un risque généralisé.

(3) The stay does not apply to a person who

(3) Le paragraphe (1) ne s’applique pas dans les cas suivants :

(a) is inadmissible under subsection 34(1) of the Act on security grounds;

a) l’intéressé est interdit de territoire pour raison de sécurité au titre du paragraphe 34(1) de la Loi;

(b) is inadmissible under subsection 35(1) of the Act on grounds of violating human or international rights;

b) il est interdit de territoire pour atteinte aux droits humains ou internationaux au titre du paragraphe 35(1) de la Loi;

(c) is inadmissible under subsection 36(1) of the Act on grounds of serious criminality or under subsection 36(2) of the Act on grounds of criminality;

c) il est interdit de territoire pour grande criminalité ou criminalité au titre des paragraphes 36(1) ou (2) de la Loi;

(d) is inadmissible under subsection 37(1) of the Act on grounds of organized criminality;

d) il est interdit de territoire pour criminalité organisée au titre du paragraphe 37(1) de la Loi;

(e) is a person referred to in section F of Article 1 of the Refugee Convention; or

e) il est visé à la section F de l’article premier de la Convention sur les réfugiés;

(f) informs the Minister in writing that they consent to their removal to a country or place to which a stay of removal applies.

f) il avise par écrit le ministre qu’il accepte d’être renvoyé vers un pays ou un lieu à l’égard duquel le ministre a imposé un sursis.

…

232 A removal order is stayed when a person is notified by the Department under subsection 160(3) that they may make an application under subsection 112(1) of the Act, and the stay is effective until the earliest of the following events occurs:

232 Il est sursis à la mesure de renvoi dès le moment où le ministère avise l’intéressé aux termes du paragraphe 160(3) qu’il peut faire une demande de protection au titre du paragraphe 112(1) de la Loi. Le sursis s’applique jusqu’au premier en date des événements suivants :

(a) the Department receives confirmation in writing from the person that they do not intend to make an application;

a) le ministère reçoit de l’intéressé confirmation écrite qu’il n’a pas l’intention de se prévaloir de son droit;

(b) the person does not make an application within the period provided under section 162;

b) le délai prévu à l’article 162 expire sans que l’intéressé fasse la demande qui y est prévue;

(c) the application for protection is rejected;

c) la demande de protection est rejetée;

(d) [Repealed, SOR/2012-154, s. 12]

d) [Abrogé, DORS/2012-154, art. 12]

(e) if a decision to allow the application for protection is made under paragraph 114(1)(a) of the Act, the decision with respect to the person’s application to remain in Canada as a permanent resident is made; and

e) s’agissant d’une personne à qui l’asile a été conféré aux termes du paragraphe 114(1) de la Loi, la décision quant à sa demande de séjour au Canada à titre de résident permanent;

(f) in the case of a person to whom subsection 112(3) of the Act applies, the stay is cancelled under subsection 114(2) of the Act.

f) s’agissant d’une personne visée au paragraphe 112(3) de la Loi, la révocation du sursis prévue au paragraphe 114(2) de la Loi.

Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Part I of the Constitution Act, 1982, being Schedule B to the Canada Act 1982 (UK), 1982, c 11

Legal Rights

Garanties juridiques

7. Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of the person and the right not to be deprived thereof except in accordance with the principles of fundamental justice.

7. Chacun a droit à la vie, à la liberté et à la sécurité de sa personne; il ne peut être porté atteinte à ce droit qu’en conformité avec les principes de justice fondamentale.

…

Enforcement

Recours

24. (1) Anyone whose rights or freedoms, as guaranteed by this Charter, have been infringed or denied may apply to a court of competent jurisdiction to obtain such remedy as the court considers appropriate and just in the circumstances.

24. (1) Toute personne, victime de violation ou de négation des droits ou libertés qui lui sont garantis par la présente charte, peut s’adresser à un tribunal compétent pour obtenir la réparation que le tribunal estime convenable et juste eu égard aux circonstances.

FEDERAL COURT

SOLICITORS OF RECORD

DOCKET:

IMM-1757-18

STYLE OF CAUSE:

BRADLEY SHAKA v THE MINISTER OF CITIZENSHIP AND IMMIGRATION

PLACE OF HEARING:

Toronto, Ontario

DATE OF HEARING:

december 10, 2018

JUDGMENT AND REASONS:

NORRIS J.

DATED:

June 11, 2019

APPEARANCES:

Raoul Boulakia

For The Applicant

Nadine Silverman

For The Respondent

SOLICITORS OF RECORD:

Raoul Boulakia

Barrister and Solicitor

Toronto, Ontario

For The Applicant

Attorney General of Canada

Toronto, Ontario

For The Respondent

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Shaka v. Canada (Citizenship and Immigration), 2019 FC 798

Citations2019 FC 798

Case tabs

I. OVERVIEW

II. PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

III. DECISION UNDER REVIEW

IV. ISSUES

V. ANALYSIS

A. Did the Minister err in cancelling the applicant’s PRRA application?

(1) Standard of review

(2) The PRRA process

(3) The decision to cancel the PRRA

B. Is the application for a writ of mandamus moot?

C. The applicant’s requests for declaratory relief

(1) Section 7 of the Charter

(2) International law

D. Certified question

VI. CONCLUSION

Citations
2019 FC 798