FAQs

Sanctuary cities are places where all residents, regardless of their immigration status, can feel safe and secure accessing city services; from taking out a library book, to participating in a city program or engagement opportunity, to calling the police for help or to report a crime. The term “sanctuary city” is a broad term applied to municipalities that have policies in place designed to limit the cooperation with or involvement in federal immigration enforcement actions. 

Sanctuary city policies are sometimes referred to as “don’t ask/don’t tell” policies. The premise of “don’t ask” being that residents will not be asked about immigration status when accessing city services, including emergency services. The premise of “don’t tell” being that if immigration information is disclosed, that the information will not be shared, including with other levels of government, unless required by the law.

Like many other municipalities in the region, New Westminster is home to many immigrants and refugees.  Immigration is a significant driver of our population growth. While most people enter and remain in Canada through government processes, there are those who are here with no, with uncertain or with precarious immigration status; these individuals are often referred to as non-status or undocumented migrants. Undocumented migrants may include, but are not limited to, temporary foreign workers whose work permits have expired, individuals with a sponsorship breakdown resulting from a marital separation, students who overstay their study or work permits, individuals who have had their status revoked, been coerced by human traffickers, or had their refugee claim denied. Some have experienced conflict, violence, persecution, and human rights violations in their home countries.

Because of fear of being detected, detained, and deported by Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), individuals with uncertain, precarious, undocumented or no immigration status may not access services out of fear that they will have to disclose their immigration status. This can lead to social isolation and vulnerability. This policy would let residents of New Westminster who may be in this situation know that they are encouraged to participate in all the City has to offer, and that the City is committed to ensuring that they feel safe and welcome when they do so.

Development of a Sanctuary City Policy for New Westminster was requested by Council in a motion in January 2019. Staff began with a review of municipal governments across Canada with “sanctuary city” or “access without fear” policies in place, including Vancouver, Edmonton, London, Montreal, Hamilton and Toronto. The learnings from this review informed the development of draft principles, which were then reviewed and vetted at multiple meetings with the Welcoming and Inclusive New Westminster Local Immigration Partnership Council and the Multiculturalism Advisory Committee. 

Development of the draft policy included a review of municipal governments across Canada with “sanctuary city” or “access without fear” policies in place, including Vancouver, Edmonton, London, Montreal, Hamilton and Toronto. The learnings from this review informed the draft principles, which were then reviewed and vetted at multiple meetings with the Welcoming and Inclusive New Westminster Local Immigration Partnership and the Multiculturalism Advisory Committee. An online survey about the draft policy was posted on the City of New Westminster website from March 9, 2020 to June 5, 2020 and a Public Open House was held on March 10, 2020.

There would be no impact to New Westminster residents with immigration/citizenship status. The objectives of the policy are to make sure that residents with no, with uncertain or with precarious status know they are welcome, and encouraged, to access City facilities, programs and services and that they will not be asked about their immigration status. 

There are no financial supports associated with this policy. 

As is the current practice, all residents of New Westminster can apply for the City’s Parks and Recreation Financial Assistance Program. This program is designed to support eligible residents to participate in year-round active living through a 50% fee discount on eligible registered programs. This program is separate from the Sanctuary City Policy.

New Westminster Police Department (NWPD) policies are approved by their governance body, the New Westminster Police Board. The NWPD is working to develop its own guidelines related to Sanctuary City principles, and is committed to a collaborative framework through various community engagement processes to ensure their policy is developed in an informed manner. 

The purpose of the current consultation is to:

• Share information about the purpose, intent and content of the City’s draft Sanctuary City Policy.
• Gather input from residents about what they like about the draft policy, what could be improved, and if anything is missing.
• Consult key stakeholders - such as local settlement organizations and non-profits that work with people with uncertain, precarious, undocumented or no immigration status -  on the draft policy, identifying any suggested changes or additions to the policy before it is finalized and presented to Council for adoption in Summer 2021
• Build awareness about the policy. 

The draft Sanctuary City Policy is available for review here. Please explore the Be Heard project page for additional information, including previous reports to Council.

Any additional questions can be submitted through the Be Heard page, or residents can contact City staff directly. Please email plnpost@newwestcity.ca