Permanent Protection: Why Canada should Grant Permanent Residence Automatically to Recognized Refugees‪.‬

Abstract In order to achieve secure status in Canada, asylum seekers must go through a lengthy, three-stage procedure involving (1) eligibility determination, (2) refugee status determination, and (3) application for permanent residence. Applicants are screened for security and criminality at both the first and third stages. During the third stage, which can take upwards of eighteen months, refugees find themselves in "legal limbo": as recognized refugees they have the right to remain in Canada, but beyond that their rights are significantly curtailed.