A Critical Study of Canadian Intercountry Adoption Law: Canada’S International Legal Obligations, the Best Interests of the Child Principle, and Family Reunification
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A Critical Study of Canadian Intercountry Adoption Law: Canada’s International Legal Obligations, the Best Interests of the Child Principle, and Family Reunification by Krisha Kaur Dhaliwal A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Laws Faculty of Law University of Toronto © Copyright by Krisha Kaur Dhaliwal 2020 A Critical Study of Canadian Intercountry Adoption Law: Canada’s International Legal Obligations, the Best Interests of the Child Principle, and Family Reunification Krisha Kaur Dhaliwal Master of Laws Faculty of Law University of Toronto 2020 Abstract This thesis critically examines Canadian intercountry adoption law in light of international children’s rights commitments, the best interests of the child framework, and the principle of family reunification. Relying on theories that immigration and citizenship are tools and objects of social closure, this thesis will explore how immigration and citizenship programs are used by the state to reproduce ideal citizens and families to support the nation-building project. This thesis will review the history of adoption and child migration in Canada, explore critiques of intercountry adoption, and consider the non-legal factors that impact the practice. It will then critically consider the Hague Adoption Convention and the legislative, policy, and common-law framework for intercountry adoption in Canada. To conclude, this thesis will recommend areas that would benefit from future study, in order to better safeguard the best interests of the child and promote family reunification. ii Acknowledgments I am grateful to my supervisor, Professor Audrey Macklin, for her patience, flexibility, and guidance throughout this project. I could not have completed this thesis without her feedback and unwavering encouragement. I am also grateful for the generous financial support provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, and the University of Toronto School of Graduate Studies. Thank you to my mentors and colleagues at Larlee Rosenberg, Barristers & Solicitors, who have taught me so much about advocacy, fairness, and the law. I am lucky to be at a firm that has nurtured my interest in immigration, provided countless opportunities to learn and grow as a lawyer, and supported me in so many ways while I pursued this degree. I am also thankful to the many families I have encountered in my practice, who have shared with me the intimate and complicated realities of cross-border family building, and inspired me to think critically about family reunification in Canada. Finally, thank you to my own family, by blood and by choice, who have shown me the resilience of love and kinship. iii Table of Contents Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... iv Chapter 1: Introduction ....................................................................................................................1 Statement of Research Question .................................................................................................1 Relevance of Research Question .................................................................................................1 Summary of Chapters ..................................................................................................................7 Chapter 2: Theoretical Framework ..................................................................................................9 Sociolegal Studies .......................................................................................................................9 Citizenship as Social Closure ....................................................................................................10 2.1 Residency, Immigration, and Citizenship ..........................................................................10 2.2 The Territorial State: Border Control as External Closure ................................................13 2.3 The Nation-State: Political and Social Participation as Internal Closure ..........................14 Nation-Building and Access to Citizenship Status ...................................................................16 3.1 Ideal Citizens .....................................................................................................................18 3.2 Ideal Families .....................................................................................................................23 3.2.1 Worthy Families.....................................................................................................25 3.2.2 Unworthy Families.................................................................................................27 Review of Existing Literature ...................................................................................................41 Chapter 3: What is Intercountry Adoption? ...................................................................................45 The Historical Context of Intercountry Adoption .....................................................................45 1.1 The Origins of Intercountry Adoption in Canada ..............................................................45 1.1.1 The History of Adoption Law in Canada ...............................................................46 1.1.2 The History of Child Migration in Canada ............................................................53 1.1.3 The Origins of Intercountry Adoption Programs in Canada ..................................58 1.2 Intercountry Adoption Stereotypes ....................................................................................63 iv 1.3 Critiques of Intercountry Adoption ....................................................................................67 1.3.1 Child Trafficking ...................................................................................................67 1.3.2 Global Inequality ...................................................................................................70 1.3.3 Feminism and Critical Race Theory ......................................................................73 1.3.4 Intercountry Adoption Scandals – Case Studies ....................................................76 Factors Outside Canadian Law and Policy that Influence Intercountry Adoption ...................84 2.1 Political and Diplomatic Issues Between Countries Involved in Intercountry Adoption ..84 2.2 Socioeconomic and Political Issues Within Countries Involved in Intercountry Adoption ............................................................................................................................85 2.3 The Role of Adoption Agencies in Intercountry Adoption ...............................................85 Chapter 4: The Hague Adoption Convention ................................................................................88 Historical Origins of the Hague Adoption Convention ............................................................88 The Hague Adoption Convention Requirements ......................................................................92 Chapter 5: The Law and Policy Framework for Intercountry Adoption in Canada ......................98 Provincial Responsibilities in Intercountry Adoptions .............................................................98 Foreign Government Responsibilities in Intercountry Adoption ............................................105 Federal Government Responsibilities in Intercountry Adoption ............................................110 3.1 Citizenship .......................................................................................................................111 3.2 Sponsorship ......................................................................................................................116 3.3 IRCC’s Discretionary Decision Making and Administrative Law ..................................123 3.4 Summary ..........................................................................................................................126 Chapter 6: Analysis of Major Themes in Common-Law Intercountry Adoption Decisions at the Federal Level .....................................................................................................................133 Adoptions Completed Outside Canada Must Be in Accordance with the Laws of the Foreign Jurisdiction .................................................................................................................134 Adoptions Must Create a Genuine Parent–Child Relationship ...............................................136 Adoptions Must Sever the Pre-Existing Parent–Child Relationship ......................................138 v Primary Purpose of the Adoption ............................................................................................146 Summary .................................................................................................................................149 Chapter 7: Conclusion..................................................................................................................151 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................157 vi Chapter 1 Introduction Statement of Research Question This thesis will critically examine Canadian intercountry adoption law. It will do so in light