Canadian university students banding together to support refugees affected by US travel ban

Feb 4 2017, 8:53 am

University students across Canada plan to works as one this Saturday, as they research the legal implications relating to Trump’s travel ban and Canada’s responsibility to respond to the situation.

Billed as a “research-a- thon,” the event will focus on “gathering information to use in possible legal challenges” to the Safe Third Country Agreement, according to a release.

It will also support the ongoing work of the Canadian Council for Refugees by raising funds for any litigation and future action

“We are looking to mobilize law students across the country in support of the Canadian Council of Refugees and their work as it pertains to the Safe Third Country Agreement,” said Rochelle Kelava, a second-year student at UBC’s the Peter A. Allard School of Law, in a statement.

The project has grown from a local initiative at the McGill Faculty of Law to a nationwide mobilization with simultaneous events confirmed at 21 of 22 Canadian law schools. “A coordinated effort by law students from coast to coast has never been achieved on this scale,” the release states.

Students will conduct legal research and draft memos for eight to 12 hours on Saturday. In Vancouver, students from the UBC Allard School of Law will collaborate with students from the SFU Masters in Public Policy program, working at UBC from 8 am to 8 pm.

“We want to come together as a united front to demonstrate that the next generation of legal scholars and practitioners will not stand for legislation that puts individuals at risk”, Kelava said.

DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

+ Listed
+ News
ADVERTISEMENT