Why are most refugee protection hearings private?
• The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) requires that refugee protection proceedings before the Refugee Protection Division (RPD) and other IRB proceedings involving a refugee claimant – for example, detention reviews in the case of claimants detained by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) – be held in private in most cases. • If a refugee claimant appears before the Immigration Division (ID) or the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) of the IRB, he or she must apply to have the proceedings conducted in private. • Private proceedings mean that no information about the claimant or the proceedings can be provided to the public, including information about the claimant’s identity, the claimant’s Personal Information Form, the decision, or any other documents in the file. • The proceedings are held in private to protect refugee protection claimants, their families and any other person who might be put at risk by the disclosure of such information. • A representative of the U
