THE DROP THE FEE CAMPAIGN WAS ESTABLISHED TO SEE THE BARRIER TO LANDING THROUGH AN EXPENSIVE APPLICATION FEE REMOVED FOR PROTECTED PERSONS AND IMMIGRANT SURVIVORS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE.

After being declared as a person in need of protection, refugees  in Canada are then required, within 6 months, to pay a $550 processing fee for each adult family member, and $150 for each  child, in order to apply for  permanent residence.

Many immigrant women and children remain in situations of domestic violence  because they cannot afford  the $550 to apply for landing on humanitarian and  compassionate grounds and as a result, they remain financially dependent on their abusive spouse.

If they cannot pay, they:

•Can not find secure employment .
•Can not travel.
•Cannot get loans.
•Cannot participate in the democratic process.

They become:

•Desperate
•Marginalized
•Impoverished
•Alone
•Helpless
•Traumatized

The Drop the Fee Campaign is asking the Harper government to eliminate the processing fee for refugees, and to abolish the fee for humanitarian and compassionate applications in situations of domestic violence.

Eliminating the fees will have a negligible effect on government revenues, and will have a very positive impact on the lives of many vulnerable people in Canada.

To date, the campaign has collected more than 15,000 signatures from supporters of the campaign all across Canada.

In May 2006, the Maytree Foundation produced a policy brief examining the impact of the refugee processing fee and the political steps that need to be taken to eliminate the fee. Download the brief here in PDF format.

The Drop the Fee Campaign is comprised of lawyers, community workers, students and concerned citizens. This group is dedicated in its endeavor to ask the government to drop the $550.00 application fee for landing.