CivicLabTO – AccessTO: Exploring the true cost of safety for undocumented people in Toronto

The City of Toronto, as a sanctuary city, is committed to ensuring that “residents have full rights to access City services without fear, regardless of their immigration status”. Consultation on the renewal of the Toronto Newcomer revealed that the City falls short of this commitment with regards to issues of safety that involve the Toronto Police Services. Through a jurisdictional scan, policy analysis, review of the literature, and interviews, this project will analyze the current policy frameworks at the City and Toronto Police Service, examine the policies and practices of other sanctuary cities with regards to policing and safety of undocumented members of society, and ultimately provide tailored recommendations to the City on how to address the raised concerns within the mandate of the City’s SafeTO commitments. In doing so, this project will review the efficacy of Toronto’s sanctuary city policy (first past in 2013) with regards to safety and policing while providing concrete recommendations for ways forward. As Canada’s largest, most diverse, and first sanctuary city, this study will shed light on the challenges of the implementation of this policy initiative while highlighting opportunities to improve its functionality.

Faculty Supervisor:

David Roberts

Student:

Partner:

City of Toronto

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Public administration; Utilities

University:

University of Toronto

Program: