It was agreed, — That, whereas, on 13 December 2011, the Subcommittee unanimously adopted a motion expressing its concerns about the situation in Camp Ashraf and calling on the Government of Canada and the Government of Iraq to take immediate and appropriate actions to address these concerns and to ensure the safety of refugees there;
Whereas on 21st December 2011 the Government of Iraq announced its decision to extended the 31st December 2011 deadline for the closure of Camp Ashraf by six months;
Whereas the Iraqi Government and the United Nations signed a memorandum of understanding on 25 December 2011 setting out rules governing the temporary relocation of the residents of Camp Ashraf to a former American military Base (Camp Liberty), near the Bagdad International Airport;
Whereas this agreement stipulates that the United Nations High Commissioner on Human Rights will be able to conduct refugee status determinations for the residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty as a first step towards resettlement in third countries;
Whereas the agreement further stipulates that the Iraqi government provide for the safety and security of the residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty and that it allow the United Nations to monitor both the transfer of the residents and the completion of the refugee assessment process at the new location;
Whereas witnesses appearing before the Subcommittee and international observers have raised serious concerns about operations conducted by Iraqi security forces against the residents of Camp Ashraf in 2009 and in 2011 and about what appears to have been the use of grossly disproportionate force during these operations;
Whereas independent and impartial investigations into these incidents have apparently not been undertaken;
Whereas witnesses appearing before the Subcommittee and international observers have also reported that Iraqi security personnel have in the past denied Camp Ashraf residents access to food, medical care, and the services of legal counsel;
That the Subcommittee welcomes the Government of Iraq’s decision to extend the 31st December 2011 deadline for the closure of Camp Ashraf by six months; and
Welcomes the signing by the Government of Iraq and the United Nations of a memorandum of understanding on the temporary relocation of the residents of Camp Ashraf;
That the Subcommittee calls on the Government of Canada to continue to work with our international partners and the UN to ensure the safety and security of residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty; and
Calls on the Government of Canada to continue to raise the situation in all appropriate bilateral and multi-lateral meetings to ensure that the residents of Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty are not forgotten, that their human rights are accorded full protection and that their lives will not be in jeopardy during their relocation, during the refugee determination process, or following the conclusion of that process;
Calls on the Government of Iraq to meet all of its international obligations regarding residents at Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty, in particular to respect and protect their human rights, including their right to be free from arbitrary arrest or detention;
Calls on the Government of Iraq to fully implement the 25 December 2011 memorandum of understanding with the United Nations regarding the residents of Camp Ashraf, including by ensuring the safety and security of the residents during transit and at their new location, by allowing sufficient time for all asylum requests to be considered in an appropriate manner, and by facilitating continuous monitoring of the residents at Camp Ashraf, during their transfer and at Camp Liberty by the United Nations;
Calls on the Government of Iraq to ensure that Camp Ashraf and Camp Liberty residents are not forcibly transferred to any country where they face a well-founded fear of serious human rights violations, such as torture or arbitrary deprivation of life.