12.2.2. Overview of Cessation Provisions in IRPA
Subsection 108(1) of the IRPA sets out five grounds for cessation of refugee protection, while subsection (4) sets out an exception to the application of paragraph 108(1)(e) – commonly referred to as change of circumstances:
Rejection
108 (1) A claim for refugee protection shall be rejected, and a person is not a Convention refugee or a person in need of protection, in any of the following circumstances:
(a) the person has voluntarily reavailed themself of the protection of their country of nationality;
(b) the person has voluntarily reacquired their nationality;
c) the person has acquired a new nationality and enjoys the protection of the country of that new nationality;
d) the person has voluntarily become re-established in the country that the person left or remained outside of and in respect of which the person claimed refugee protection in Canada; or
e) the reasons for which the person sought refugee protection have ceased to exist.
VIA IRB website https://irb-cisr.gc.ca/en/legal-policy/legal-concepts/Pages/RefDef12.aspx
Broken down..
What is “Reavailment”?
Refugee protection is based on the assumption that a refugee cannot depend on the protection of their home country. Under international law, a refugee loses their protection when they go back to relying on that country’s protection. When a refugee relies on their home country’s protection, it is called “reavailment”.
The following behaviours are presumed to count as reavailment:
- Renewing a passport from your home country
- Using a passport from your home country to travel to another country
- Entering your home country
Most people just think of a passport as a document that lets you travel. But requesting or using a passport from a country
can be seen as a declaration you trust that country to protect you as you travel, and to help you if something goes wrong abroad – i.e. that you are relying on that country’s
“diplomatic protection”.