Date: 19990611
Docket: IMM-2934-98
Between :
JANI ARDIAN FEIMI
Applicant,
and
THE MINISTER
Respondent,
REASONS FOR ORDER
TEITELBAUM, J:
[1] This is a judicial review of a decision of the Refugee Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board (Board) dated June 4, 1998 whereby the Board determined that the applicant, Jani Ardian Feimi, is not a Convention refugee.
Facts
[2] The applicant was born in the City of Berat, Lumas in Albania and is a citizen of Albania. The applicant left Albania and went to Greece in May 1991 to settle on the island of Hydra. He was accepted in Greece "as an undocumented resident on this island".
[3] During the period of his residence in Greece, he arranged for his father, his mother, a sister (Flora) and a brother (Niko) to come to live in Greece. A brother (Dritan Fotis) stayed in Albania to complete his studies and a sister (Luiza) remained in Albania with her husband.
[4] In 1996, the applicant"s sister, Flora, who was at the time 18 years of age, "attracted the attention of another Albanian living on the island, called Florian Gjoni". Florian began to pursue Flora against her wishes and "eventually began abusing" Flora. On September 4, 1996, Niko saw Flora being manhandled by Florian Gjoni and, as a result, struck Florian with a knife which resulted in the death of Florian.
[5] The applicant"s brother was arrested and eventually found guilty of murder.
[6] The police of the island, being aware "of the inevitability and the viciousness of the Albanian law of Leke or "code of blood" (i.e. blood feud) informed the applicant and members of the applicant"s family to leave the island of Hydra "as they did not want to have to deal with another death" (see affidavit of the applicant sworn to on July 21, 1998).
[7] On November 6, 1996, the applicant and his family moved to Athens where they went into hiding.
[8] The patriarch of the family sent an emissary to the deceased"s family "offering regrets or any form of atonement that would satisfy them". The deceased"s family refused and indicated that three members of the applicant"s family would be killed in response to the death of Florian.
[9] In early December 1996, the applicant"s brother, Dritan Fotis, who had been studying in Albania, left his studies to join the rest of the family in Athens "as he began to fear for his life when he learned that there were people who were looking for him".
[10] The applicant further states in his affidavit:23. Thanks to the intervention of some friends, I have managed to get to Switzerland, and from there, came to Canada, where I lie safer, an ocean apart from my marauders;24. Even though I am presently far from my potential murderers, as the Albanian law of Leke or "code of blood" is of common knowledge to all Albanians and is applied like the law;25. I therefore have a well-founded of fear persecution in Albania and Greece because of my nationality;26. I furthermore have a well-founded of fear persecution in Albania and Greece because I am a member of a particular social group, namely Albanian men, and as such I am submitted to the law of Leke or "code of blood";27. Because of the law of Leke, I am unable and unwilling to avail myself of the protection of my country, as it is Albania"s very law that threatens my existence, which means the Albanian authorities are both unable and unwilling to offer me protection;28. Furthermore, I am unable and unwilling to avail myself of the protection of Greek authorities, as they have refused to get involved and have made my family and I leave Greece in view of both their inability and unwillingness to offer protection;
[11] The applicant arrived in Canada on June 8, 1997 and claimed refugee states 11 days later.
Board"s Decision
| [12] The Board, in its reasons for decision dated May 27, 1998, states: La preuve documentaire produite à l"audience, ainsi que le savant témoignage du professeur Philip Longworth de l"Université McGill, font état d"un profond enracinement de la vendetta dans la culture Albanaise et, depuis l"écroulement du régime communiste en 1992, cette loi appelée Korun a été maintes fois invoquée pour caractériser ou colorer, voire justifier dans l"esprit de certains, des meurtres qui ne sont que des crimes de droit commun sans aucune connotation, de l"avis du tribunal, avec la persécution au sens de la Convention. |
| Les agents de persécution que craint le demandeur pourraient être un ou des membres de la famille Gjoni qui formuleraient et exécuteraient l"intention criminelle de tuer au mépris des lois en vigueur en Albanie et en Grèce, pays de résidence habituelle du demandeur. Selon le Guide des procédures et critères à appliquer pour déterminer le statut de réfugié au regard de la Convention de 1951 et du Protocole de 1967 relatifs au statut des réfugiés, |
| " On entend normalement par persécution une action qui est le fait des autorités d"un pays. Cette action peut également être le fait de groupes de la population qui ne se conforment pas aux normes établies par les lois du pays. À titre d"exemple, on peut citer l"intolérance religieuse, allant jusqu"à la persécution, dans un pays par ailleurs laïque mais où d"importantes fractions de la population ne respectent pas les convictions religieuses d"autrui. Lorsque des actes ayant des caractères discriminatoires graves ou très offensants sont commis par le peuple, ils peuvent être considérés comme des persécutions s"ils sont sciemment tolérés par les autorités ou si les autorités refusent ou sont incapables d"offrir une protection efficace. " |
| Le tribunal est d"avis que quelques membres de la famille Gjoni qui ourdiraient le complot de tuer le demandeur ou d"autres membres de sa famille ne constituent pas, en raison de leur mobile, un des " groupes de la population qui ne se conforment pas aux normes établies par les lois " Grecques ou Albanaises. Les pays signataires de la Convention de 1951 et les législateurs qui ont établi des lois sous son empire n"ont jamais exprimé l"intention d"inclure dans la définition de réfugié une victime potentielle d"un ou de quelques criminels, qu"ils appartiennent ou non à une même famille, qui pourraient avoir l"intention d"attenter à la vie d"un revendicateur par esprit de vengeance. |
| La vendetta, que soulève le demandeur dans sa revendication, n"est pas un problème de persécution mais un problème de criminalité. Bien que le nombre de ces meurtres ait augmenté ces dernières années, notamment en Albanie, il demeure que, quoique les autorités aient une obligation de protéger les citoyens, elles n"ont pas une obligation de résultat comme l"a rappelé la Cour fédérale dans l"affaire Villafranca . Dans l"affaire qui nous concerne, les autorités Grecques ont procédé à l"arrestation du meurtrier dans l"heure qui a suivi le crime, lui ont fait subir un procès et la cour l"a condamné à 12 ans d"emprisonnement. La police Grecque a de plus exigé que la famille du meurtrier trouve refuge ailleurs que dans l"île de Hydra, qui ne compte que quelque 2 400 habitants et s"installe à Athènes pour se fondre dans les quelque 3 millions d"habitants que compte la région métropolitaine de la capitale. |
| Les autorités Grecques ne pouvaient offrir au demandeur et à sa famille une protection plus efficace. |
| L"appartenance du demandeur à la famille Feimi n"en fait pas un membre d"un groupe social particulier visé par la Convention, cette appréciation de la protection n"entrant d"ailleurs en ligne de compte que dans la seule mesure où on établit qu"il y a eu persécution ou qu"il n"y a risque de persécution au sens de la Convention, ce que n"a pas démontré la preuve dans son ensemble. |
Pour ces motifs le tribunal conclut que monsieur Jani Ardian FEIMI n"est pas un réfugié au sens de la Convention, tel que défini à l"article 2(1) de la Loi sur l"immigration.
Issues
[13] From a reading of the Board"s decision and from having listened to the submissions of the parties, I believe the issues to be determined are:
| - Are the Board members right when they say that the applicant is not a convention refugee as the term is defined in the Immigration Act because he does not belong to a particular social group. |
| - Are the Board members right when they say that the applicant"s concern is one regarding a possible criminal act rather than an act of persecution as defined in the Act. |
Discussion
[14] Both counsel appearing before me made elaborate submissions. I do not believe it necessary to repeat in these reasons what each party said in their submission.
[15] I am also satisfied that in order for me to conclude that the Board"s decision is reasonable based on the evidence before it, I do not have to discuss the issue of whether or not the applicant"s family is a particular social group.
| [16] The Immigration Act, subsection 2(1), defines a Convention refugee as, for our purposes: |
2(1)"Convention refugee" means any person who
(a) by reason of a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group or political opinion,
(i) is outside the country of the person's nationality and is unable or, by reason of that fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of that country, or
(ii) not having a country of nationality, is outside the country of the person's former habitual residence and is unable or, by reason of that fear, is unwilling to return to that country, and
2 (1) " réfugié au sens de la Convention " Toute personne_:
a) qui, craignant avec raison d'être persécutée du fait de sa race, de sa religion, de sa nationalité, de son appartenance à un groupe social ou de ses opinions politiques_:
(i) soit se trouve hors du pays dont elle a la nationalité et ne peut ou, du fait de cette crainte, ne veut se réclamer de la protection de ce pays,
(ii) soit, si elle n'a pas de nationalité et se trouve hors du pays dans lequel elle avait sa résidence habituelle, ne peut ou, en raison de cette crainte, ne veut y retourner;
[17] The applicant claims that he is a Convention refugee because, by reason of a well founded fear of persecution for the reason of membership in a particular social group is outside the country of his nationality and is unable or by reason of that fear, is unwilling to avail himself of the protection of Albania or of Greece.
[18] First, dealing with the issue of Protection. As stated above, the Board states:... Bien que le nombre de ces meurtres ait augmenté ces dernières années, notamment en Albanie, il demeure que, quoique les autorités aient une obligation de protéger les citoyens, elles n"ont pas une obligation de résultat comme l"a rappelé la Cour fédérale dans l"affaire Villafranca . Dans l"affaire qui nous concerne, les autorités Grecques ont procédé à l"arrestation du meurtrier dans l"heure qui a suivi le crime, lui ont fait subir un procès et la cour l"a condamné à 12 ans d"emprisonnement. La police Grecque a de plus exigé que la famille du meurtrier trouve refuge ailleurs que dans l"île de Hydra, qui ne compte que quelque 2 400 habitants et s"installe à Athènes pour se fondre dans les quelque 3 millions d"habitants que compte la région métropolitaine de la capitale.
Les autorités Grecques ne pouvaient offrir au demandeur et à sa famille une protection plus efficace.
[19] Clearly, the members of the Board were not satisfied that the Greek authorities could not provide protection to the applicant.
[20] From reading the evidence presented to the Board, I am satisfied that no evidence was made that the Greek authorities could not protect the claimant.
[21] In his affidavit of July 21, 1998, the applicant states that he is unable and unwilling to avail himself of the protection because "they have refused to get involved and have made my family and I leave Greece in view of both their inability and unwillingness to offer protection".
[22] After reading the evidence presented to the Board, I am unable to find any evidence of the inability of the Greek authorities to provide protection.
[23] If the applicant intends to say that in order to be satisfied of protection he needs to have the police on a 24 hour basis, of course this is impossible.
[24] In addition, there is no evidence that the applicant asked for protection while he was living in Athens.
[25] The only evidence before the Board with regard to police protection is that the police on the island of Hydra asked the family to move as "they did not want to deal with another death".
[26] I do not see an error in the Board"s decision when they say the police did and can do a good job as was evidenced by the arrest of the applicant"s brother after the death and suggesting the family move to a larger city, which the family did.
[27] Greece is a democratic country and no evidence was presented to indicate the police system was such that Greece could not have offered the applicant protection.
[28] This appears to be all the more apparent, that is, that the applicant"s family thought that Greece would offer "protection" from being killed.
[29] The applicant"s brother, Dritan Fotis, who was studying in Albania in December 1996, left Albania to join his family in Athens, Greece.
[30] Surely, if the family was concerned that the Greek authorities could not offer the necessary police protection, the family and the applicant would not have suggested to Dritan Fotis to come and stay in Greece where the evidence, at the time of the hearing, shows the family, other than the applicant, was.
[31] The applicant also states he cannot rely on the Greek authorities for protection because Greece is close to Albania and because it is a duty to exact revenge, the Gjoni family could easily attempt to kill up to three members of the family.
[32] Although this was not discussed in the Board"s decision, but found in the evidence, I am satisfied that Canada could not offer the applicant any better protection.
[33] If the Gjoni family was intent on exacting revenge, they could just as easily come to Canada as to Greece or Switzerland.
[34] As I have said, the applicant, after leaving Greece, spent seven months in Switzerland but never asked to be a refugee nor did he ask for police protection. The applicant states, on page 413 of the Board"s Record:J"ai passé sept (7) mois en Suisse, après le premier mois, j"ai connu des Albanais et je savais aussi qu"il y avait des Albanais du village de la personne tuée, alors j"ai commençé à avoir peur parce que on pouvait me tuer là aussi.
[35] I take the answer to mean that because there may be Albanians from Florian Gjoni"s village living in Switzerland, he was concerned he may be killed. Again, the same thing could happen in Canada.
[36] In order to be considered a Convention refugee, the applicant must show a lack of state protection. This the applicant has failed to do and the Board"s decision is reasonable when it concluded that the applicant has failed to show a lack of state protection.
[37] In that I am satisfied that it was open to the Board to decide that the applicant is not a Convention refugee because he has failed to establish that Greece (as well as Switzerland) was unable to offer him state protection, I do not have to decide whether or not the applicant belonged to a particular social group.
[38] The application for judicial review is denied.
[39] Counsel for the applicant has asked that the following question be certified pursuant to section 83 of the Immigration Act:Does the sojourn of an applicant for refugee status in a country other than Canada prior to filing a refugee claim preclude the existence of persecution as defined by the Convention?
[40] I am satisfied that this question is not a serious question of general importance as defined in the Act.
[41] In addition, I am satisfied that the issue of a "sojourn" of an applicant for refugee status in a country other than Canada prior to filing a refugee claim is only a factor to be taken into consideration in concluding if the applicant is to be considered a refugee as defined by the Convention.
J.F.C.C.
Ottawa, Ontario
June 11, 1999