Failed refugee judges given second chance Published On Tue Dec 20 2011 Nicholas Keung Immigration Reporter Refugee judges who failed an exam and screening for their same jobs in a revamped asylum system are being given a second chance to redeem themselves, the Star has learned. Last summer the federal government sought to fill 105 new civil servant positions, which will replace the current system of independent adjudicators who decide whether a person's claim for asylum in Canada is valid. After more than half of 63 current tribunal judges who applied for the civil servant jobs failed, the Immigration and Refugee Board in late November launched a new round of screening and exams. The previous competition was open to all federal civil servants, including refugee judges, as well as the general public. This latest round, however, will only be open to those currently on the federal government payroll, including judges who previously failed. The board's decision to reopen the competition has raised questions about the fairness of the process, where individuals who have been doing the job for years and failed are given a second chance while members of the public are not. Under the old system judges were typically... Read more →