Women's groups push for sanctuary city status for Ottawa

Women's groups are hoping to convince city council that Ottawa should join the growing list of Canadian municipalities designated as sanctuary cities.

• Sanctuary city debate headed to committee for public discussion

A sanctuary city is onein which undocumented immigrants are not refused social services.

Toronto, Hamilton, Montreal and London, Ont., have passed motions in council to become sanctuaries.

The Ottawa Sanctuary City Network, a grassroots group including social service providers, lawyersand advocates, are calling on residentsto write theircouncillorsinsupport of a sanctuary city designation.

And on International Women's Day on Wednesday, a group of 25 women's organizations, representing services such as women's shelters, victimsadvocacyand immigration services, signed a petition calling on council to act.

"How many women don't pick up the phone and call the police when they need to because they fear what the response will be?" askedLeighannBurns, executive director of Harmony House, a shelter for women and girls.

"And if the city were to give out a clear message to women that you are welcome you can call the police, you can call on any municipal service and you will get the help you need I think that's an important message to people who really need to hear it."

Committee to discuss report March 30

SomersetCoun. CatherineMcKenneybrought up the ideainFebruary but decided, after some consultation, to bringthe issue before the community and protective services committee as a report.Speakers will be invited to discuss itMarch 30.

Among those against the idea isGloucester-SouthNepeanCoun. MichaelQaqish, the city council's special liaison for refugees.

The motion was "a slap in the face" to what his office has already been doing, including working to settle more than 2,000 refugees over the last year, he said.

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, meanwhile, said he's received a lot of reaction against the idea.

"I know certainly fromemailsI've received, I think it's about 10to one against the sanctuary city [designation]," he said.

"I'm generally inclined to help refugees, but not talk about helping refugees.That's always been my philosophy," added Watson, who doesn't think having the designation will add to what the city is already doing.

"We have a very proud history of welcoming and working with refugees and bringing them into the community."

Attitudes changing,McKenneysays

But on Wednesday,McKenneysaid attitudes are changing.

"When the issue was first raised, Ialso received predominantly negative feedback," saidMcKenney.

"It's only now when people are realizing that it is an issue [now] thatit's coming to committee, that it may not be successful it has shifted completely.It's the opposite.I'm hearing mostly from people who are very supportive and much less from people who have had that negative reaction to something that, quite frankly, I don't think they understand."

Still, she faces an uphill battle, with the mayor suggesting a strong preference for the status quo.

"He's not so dogmatic that he can't change and I'm hoping that's the case here," saidMcKenney. She hopes the public delegations will help sway those unsure about the purpose of the sanctuary city designation.

"I think it's hard to ignore when front-line organizations who work with folks all day longtell us what'shappening out there on the ground. I think it's pretty hard to ignore."

Is a sanctuary city a true sanctuary?

One criticism of the move to adopt sanctuary city status is that it's mostly symbolic and doesn't carrylegal status.

Sanctuary cities were historically aimed at protecting undocumented migrants from deportation. However most Canadian cities have adopted a kind of "sanctuarylight,"which doesn't offer any new benefit, but educates city workersand signals to migrants through promotion that they are welcome to access services they've already been able to access.

Undocumented migrants would likely still not be able to get on a list for public housing, for instance, explains Burns.

More significantly, police services will continue to hand over migrants facing Canadian Border Services Agency warrants.

Enforcement

Ottawa police Chief Charles Bordeleausaidcity councils can't tell policehow to enforce the law, but that police chiefs across the country will be discussing the growing interest in sanctuary city status and how it might affectpolicing.

He clarified thatpolice aren't in the business of checking people's documentation when they respond to calls unless the issue specifically comes up.

"The primary responsibility for immigration issues is the CanadianBorder Services Agency, and so police services don't really play an active role in looking for and actively enforcing immigration laws," Bordeleau said.

"When we deal with a victim of crime, our priority is not to ask their status with respect to immigration; it's to ensure that they're protected, that they're well served, that we deal with the issue at hand from a safety perspective.

"The only time when we ask the question,that the issue really comes up,is when we arrest somebody and their status becomes an issue, where we'll turn them over toCBSA."

Bordeleau said the issue is being debated at city councils across Canada, and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police islooking at whetherto make a formal statement.