You may be given refugee protection in Canada if you meet the definition of a
Convention refugee or if you are
a person in need of protection. Here is what the terms mean:
Convention refugee
If you are a Convention refugee, it means you fear returning to your country because you will be harmed for one of these reasons:
-
race: because of the colour of your skin or your ethnicity
-
religion: because of your faith
-
nationality: because of your citizenship or because you belong to a certain ethnic group
-
political opinion: because of your political beliefs or what other people think are your political beliefs
-
membership in a particular social group: because of a personal characteristic you cannot change (for example your gender or sexual orientation)
Person in need of protection
If you are a person in need of protection, it means you would be in danger in your country. This could be because you fear:
- torture
- death or cruel and unusual treatment or punishment
See
Interpretation of Convention Refugee and Person in Need of Protection in the Case Law for complete definitions and more details.