Abstract

Refugees are a migration phenomenon which continue to challenge, frustrate and anger Western policymakers. To qualify as a Convention refugee, a person must fear persecution because of his/her race, religion, nationality or membership of a social group. The Convention refugee must also be outside of his/her country of origin and unable to receive protection from his/her national government. Canada became a refugee receiving country in the post World War II era. Today, she resettles approximately 25,000 Convention and humanitarian refugees on an annual basis. This thesis examines the evolution and growth of Canadian refugee policy from its modest beginnings to its modern philosophy and general direction. This thesis is divided into two parts. The first is the Literature Review on the 'refugee' definition itself. The second part consists of an overview and analysis of Canadian refugee policy from 1947 to 1992. It concludes with a brief examination of Canadian policy towards Central America, a region whose history of political instability appeared to reach its zenith in the 1980's.